Nepalese authorities are intensifying rescue efforts for nearly 900 individuals presumed trapped inside a hydropower plant tunnel following severe flooding.
According to the Nepal Disaster Management Agency, at least 933 workers are believed to be isolated in tunnels at six hydropower sites across the country due to the flooding.
At the Trishuli 3A plant, rescuers successfully accessed the tunnel by drilling four holes in the roof the previous day, allowing them to assess the location and condition of those trapped inside.
Raja Ram Basnet, a spokesperson for the Nepal Army, told Reuters, "There is a significant amount of debris, making it extremely challenging to open the tunnel. Our primary goal is to clear the tunnel."
On the same day, the Nepal Army reported that a body was recovered from the tunnel at the Upper Trishuli (UT)-1 plant, where nine South Korean workers were reported missing.
The military explained that a Chinese tunnel rescue team, participating in the Nepalese rescue efforts, managed to penetrate about 300 meters into the tunnel to conduct search operations, leading to the discovery of the body.
However, the identity of the victim, including their nationality, has not yet been confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Disaster Management Agency announced that the death toll from the flooding in Nepal has risen to at least 939, while the number of missing persons has been revised down to 3,925 (including 592 foreigners), a decrease of over 320 from previous estimates.
When combined with the figures reported by Chinese authorities in the Tibet Autonomous Region, which include 16 deaths and 546 missing (261 foreigners), the overall death toll from the flooding now stands at a minimum of 955, with 4,471 individuals still unaccounted for.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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