Rescuers race to reach hundreds trapped in Nepal’s hydropower tunnels as death toll climbs

Rescue teams in Nepal are racing to reach more than 900 people believed to be trapped in tunnels and underground sections of several hydropower projects after catastrophic floods swept through Himalayan valleys.

Authorities say the death toll from the unprecedented torrent of ice, rock, mud and debris has risen to 903 in Nepal, and 16 people have died on the Tibetan side of the border. More than 4,000 people are listed as missing in Nepal and roughly 500 on the Tibetan side; hundreds of bodies — many unidentified — have been buried in shallow graves across the affected plains.

Officials have said search efforts are concentrating on 933 people recorded as missing at hydropower sites in the hardest-hit region. "A large amount of debris has accumulated and that presents a major challenge for us to open the tunnels," said army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet.

A local guide, Ashish Gurung, led a team attempting to reach the Chilime facility in Ruswana, one of the worst-hit locations. He described the scene inside the tunnels and around the site: "There is only mud everywhere. Inside the tunnel it was worse. Movement is difficult, the mud is very deep. At one point it was up to our chests. We approached the first station, about 130 metres in, it looked like there were only bodies inside." Gurung said his team had been given maps by the hydropower company and believed people might have survived if they had remained within internal infrastructure.

Scale of the humanitarian impact and response

The Red Cross estimated more than 90,000 people have been affected by the disaster, which China linked to the climate crisis. Nepal's prime minister, Balendra Shah, described the floods as "unprecedented and devastating" and warned that a full assessment of damage would be difficult to complete.

"Despite adverse weather conditions, difficult terrain and ongoing risks, we continue rescuing our citizens. Almost 21,000 members of the security forces are involved in the rescue operations, alongside civilian workers and volunteers," Shah said.

Nepal's disaster agency reported 903 fatalities and 4,247 people listed as missing, including 592 foreigners. Chinese authorities have reported 16 deaths and 546 people unaccounted for on their side of the border, of whom 261 were foreigners.

Photo: DPA)