KATHMANDU, Nepal (Diya TV) — Rescue teams in Nepal are trying to reach 46 workers believed to be trapped but potentially alive inside an underground chamber at the Rasuwagadhi hydropower plant, one week after deadly flash floods struck the region.
Amshu Kiran Shahi, a board member of the Nepal Electricity Authority, said Wednesday that officials believe the workers may have survived and could have access to food and water.
“In Rasuwagadhi, we think 46 people are trapped in a room-like structure in the tunnel,” Shahi told Reuters.
The workers became trapped after floods carrying ice, rocks, mud and debris swept through mountain valleys near Nepal’s border with China.
Authorities have rescued 279 people across the affected region, while at least 639 remain missing. Officials believe some of those missing may be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower facilities.
The 111-megawatt Rasuwagadhi Hydroelectric Project is located in Rasuwa district, about 5 kilometers from the Chinese border.
Rescue efforts have been slowed by thick mud, debris and difficult mountain terrain. Shahi said rescuers can access part of the tunnel system on foot, but an earlier Nepal Army search failed to locate the chamber where the workers are believed to be trapped.
“The army tried doing that three days ago, but they didn’t find the room,” Shahi said. “We are going in again.”
Teams are also searching other damaged hydropower facilities, including the Upper Trishuli 3A project. Rescue workers there spent nearly six days locating tunnel entrances buried under heavy mud.
Officials believe workers may have survived in dry sections of the tunnels and are trying to break through blocked areas.
Nepal has deployed rescue teams and available technology with assistance from India, China and South Korea. Experts from Australia are also supporting the operation.
The floods followed a glacial collapse near Nepal’s northern border, sending a powerful flow of water and debris through nearby communities and infrastructure.
Rescuers are continuing efforts to reach underground chambers, with the Rasuwagadhi site remaining a key focus because officials believe the 46 workers may still be alive.
