Rescue teams in Nepal, supported by Chinese and Indian experts, worked through the night to reach hundreds of people believed to be trapped inside blocked hydropower project tunnels following last week’s devastating floods in the Himalayan region.
The unprecedented torrent of ice, rock, mud and debris struck areas along the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday, with authorities blaming the disaster on a glacier collapse. The floods have devastated towns and villages in Nepal and caused widespread destruction across the border in China.
Nepali authorities said 788 people had died and thousands remained missing, including hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside several hydropower project tunnels.
Nepal’s disaster management authority said 933 people linked to hydropower projects were reported missing in the flood-hit region. The International Red Cross has estimated that more than 90,000 people may have been affected by the disaster.
Rescue teams have been concentrating their efforts on clearing mud and rock debris blocking about half a dozen hydropower tunnels.
Images released by rescue teams showed earth-moving machinery working under floodlights through the night as soldiers and civilian workers searched for possible access points. Soldiers were also seen using torches inside a large excavation as they attempted to locate an entrance to one of the blocked tunnels.
“A large amount of debris has been deposited and that is posing us a big challenge to open the tunnels,” Nepal Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet told Reuters. “Our main focus is on opening the tunnels.”
Nepal struggles to assess full extent of damage
Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the flooding as an “unprecedented and devastating natural disaster”, saying the scale of destruction continued to make it difficult to complete a full assessment.
“Despite the adverse weather, difficult terrain and continuing risks, we are moving forward with determination to save the lives of our citizens,” Shah said in a Facebook post.
He said nearly 21,000 security personnel, together with civilian workers and volunteers, were involved in rescue and relief operations.
On the Chinese side of the border, authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people in Gyirong County.
Beijing also said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries were unaccounted for in Tibet near a key border crossing with Nepal.
China has deployed more than 2,100 rescue workers and allocated at least 220 million yuan for relief operations, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Rescue teams have also been using life-detection equipment and airdropping equipment and supplies to affected areas.
India and China assist with tunnel rescue
Although Nepal has said it does not require foreign assistance for general search-and-rescue operations, authorities have relied on neighbouring India and China for specialised expertise in dealing with the blocked hydropower tunnels.
Rescue operations have been repeatedly disrupted by bad weather and concerns over a lake that formed along the Nepal-China border following the disaster.
Officials have warned that further overflow from the lake could cause additional flooding downstream.
However, improving weather conditions on Monday allowed rescue operations to gather pace, according to Narendra Pariyar, district administrator of Rasuwa, one of the areas worst affected by the floods.
Survivors search through rubble for belongings
In the riverside town of Devighat, residents have begun returning to the remains of their homes along the Trishuli River to search through the debris for whatever belongings can be salvaged.
The disaster has left communities facing widespread destruction, with homes, infrastructure and other property swept away by the powerful floodwaters.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV attributed the disaster to glacier instability linked to the long-term effects of global warming, describing it as an emerging feature of cryosphere-related disasters on the Tibetan Plateau.
The disaster has also raised concerns about regional information-sharing and early-warning systems.
Two Nepali officials told Reuters that China had provided limited information on glacier risks and water levels following a meeting earlier this year aimed at strengthening cooperation.
They warned that insufficient data sharing could complicate efforts to improve disaster preparedness and prevent future tragedies. China’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Chinese scientists cited by CCTV said the mudslide from the Nepalese side reached the Gyirong border crossing within six to seven minutes.
Dramatic surveillance footage showed huge volumes of water, mud and debris sweeping through buildings as residents attempted to escape.
With thousands still missing, rescue teams continue to work against difficult terrain, unstable conditions and vast amounts of debris in a desperate effort to find survivors.