More than 4,400 missing; hundreds believed trapped in hydropower plant tunnels

Nepalese soldiers conduct search and rescue operations at a hydropower plant tunnel in the Rasuwa district of Nepal on Tuesday (local time). [Reuters]
Nepalese soldiers conduct search and rescue operations at a hydropower plant tunnel in the Rasuwa district of Nepal on Tuesday (local time). [Reuters]

A week after catastrophic floods swept through the Himalayan mountain region along the Nepal-China border, rescue authorities were pressing ahead Wednesday (local time) with search and rescue operations to find missing persons believed to be trapped in hydropower plants and other locations.

South Korea's Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) also arrived in Nepal that morning to assist in search and rescue efforts.

According to AFP, Reuters and other news agencies, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said the death toll from the floods inside Nepal rose to 1,050 on Wednesday. Combined with 16 fatalities on the Chinese side, the overall death toll stands at 1,066.

The number of missing in Nepal reached 3,916, including 590 foreign nationals. In China, 546 people are unaccounted for, among them 261 foreigners. The combined total of missing persons across Nepal and China stands at 4,462.

Rescue teams, including the Nepalese military, are attempting to reach hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels at several hydropower plants.

Nepal's disaster management authority said Tuesday (local time) that at least 639 people had been reported missing or isolated at multiple hydropower facilities, according to Reuters. Rescuers believe a significant number of them are likely trapped inside plant tunnels.

Crews have been blasting large boulders blocking tunnel entrances, clearing thick layers of mud and debris, and drilling access holes in an effort to reach survivors.

The work has been hampered, however, by tunnels already filled with mud and by large volumes of water flooding into drilled openings.

Ashish Gurung, a mountain guide taking part in rescue operations at one hydropower plant tunnel, told Reuters after assessing the site that "it is impossible for a person to enter the tunnel" and that equipment such as bulldozers and excavators was needed.

A preliminary estimate by the UN Development Programme found that debris — including building rubble, rocks and mud — blanketing affected areas amounts to at least 2.2 million tons.

Meanwhile, the South Korean government's 44-member KDRT arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu at around 6:27 a.m. Wednesday aboard a military transport aircraft.

The team plans to conduct search and rescue operations in coordination with Nepalese authorities, focusing on areas where nine South Korean nationals are missing. The mission is scheduled to last about 10 days but may be extended depending on conditions on the ground.

Team members plan to deploy advanced equipment including high-resolution drones, acoustic and video detectors for locating buried survivors, and thermal imaging sensors.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com