Kathmandu: Nepalese rescuers are focusing on hydropower projects along the Himalayan border with China, where 121 missing workers are feared to be trapped inside tunnels following devastating floods and mudslides.
The workers are among about 900 people missing from hydropower projects affected by the disaster. Army rescuers said some may have been working elsewhere at the power plants, but others could be inside an extensive network of underground tunnels.
One of the main areas of concern is the Chilime hydropower project in Rasuwa district. Lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane, who is involved in rescue efforts, stated that four of the six people missing from the project could still be alive.
Rescuers have identified specialised equipment and techniques for the Chilime operation. They believe survival may be possible because some tunnels contain air pockets, rooms and other enclosed spaces where people could remain sheltered.
That hope has been strengthened by four recent rescues.
On Saturday, rescuers pulled a Chinese national alive from a tunnel. Two hydropower workers were rescued from another tunnel on Friday, while a Nepali woman was found alive in her buried home on Saturday.
The disaster began on August 26 when a huge mass of mud and rock, following the collapse of part of a glacier, crashed into a river near the Nepal China border. The resulting floods swept through towns and villages and buried roads and highways under mud and debris.
At least 1380 people have been killed and more than 5500 remain missing across Nepal and Tibet.
Nepal has appealed for international assistance, including high capacity drones, Bailey bridges, DNA testing kits and specialised equipment for tunnel rescues and disease prevention.
As the country observed the 13th day of mourning, national flags were flown at half mast in Nepal and at diplomatic missions abroad. However, no major government ceremonies were planned because search and rescue operations were still underway.
There have also been remarkable stories of survival beyond the hydropower sites. Prime Minister (PM) Balendra Shah said security personnel in Nuwakot moved 923 prisoners to higher ground before floodwaters reached their prison building. Fifty other prisoners who escaped through damaged walls and gates were later recaptured.
The continuing rescues show why the search has not stopped. For families waiting for missing relatives, every accessible tunnel, building and air pocket remains a possible place where someone could still be alive.
