As the massive flooding that struck the Himalayan mountainous region along the Nepal-China border enters its ninth day, rescue authorities are focusing their efforts on locating dozens of missing individuals trapped in a hydropower plant.
According to Yonhap News Agency and Reuters on September 3, Nepali rescue teams are attempting to search four tunnels at hydropower plants where hundreds of employees are missing.
Notably, there is a possibility that around 90 employees may be alive and trapped in two of these tunnels.
Amshu Kiran Shahi, a director at the Nepal Electricity Authority, stated, "There is air remaining in these two tunnels, making it most likely to find survivors. Some tunnels have facilities for communication and rest, and it appears there may still be food and water available. I am very confident that there are survivors inside the tunnels," he told Reuters.
He added, "In the case of the Trishuli 3A power plant, oxygen pipes have been installed, so we expect oxygen is flowing inside the tunnel."
A Nepali army official involved in the search operations said, "We are searching all the tunnels and will continue rescue operations as long as there is hope of finding survivors. Even if there are no survivors, we will recover the bodies."
Meanwhile, the Nepal Disaster Management Authority has reported that the death toll from the flooding in Nepal has risen to at least 1,252.
Deaths in China have also increased to at least 21, bringing the total death toll to 1,273.
The number of missing persons stands at 4,216 in Nepal and 541 in China, totaling 4,757.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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