Nepal’s army has embarked on a major operation in a tunnel at the country’s Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project, where dozens of people are feared to be trapped following the devastating flood.
The Independent Power Producers' Association in Nepal (IPPAN) said 898 workers and employees at nine hydropower projects in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts are missing since the August 26 floods. Of the nine, the 216 MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa faces the most serious situation.
However, there is no certainty in the number of people trapped inside the Upper Trishuli tunnel. While military officials estimate that at least 35 people may be trapped inside, Nepal police has pegged the number to be around 200 following a technical assessment.
On Sunday afternoon, the rescue workers managed to locate the crown, or uppermost section, of a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project. This capped a three-day-long effort which saw the army team working continuously using drilling machines, excavators and hydraulic cutters.
“After drilling a hole, we found that the water level extends high up inside a tunnel with a diameter of around seven metres,” Nepali Army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet told reporters.
He added that a team of Nepali Army, Nepal Electricity Authority and tunnel experts have found a tunnel to extract wires from the power plant. After cleaning the tunnel port, preparations are underway to send rescue workers with oxygen into the tunnel, he said.
Though rescuers entered the tunnel through the opening after drilling through the crown section, there was no response when the rescue team called out.
"People can enter through this tunnel, and those trapped inside can also be rescued," Basnet said. "We hope that those trapped will be safe as oxygen inlets have already been drilled,” he said.
A camera will also be sent with the rescue workers to monitor the situation. It is estimated that the workers are stuck at 180 meters from the port.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah's secretariat stated that work was now underway to bring in larger equipment, carry out blasting and widen the opening to make the rescue operation easier and faster.
Nepal has sought assistance from Indian and Chinese experts as the Nepali Army’s equipment and personnel are deployed across multiple disaster-hit areas. However, it is just the Army at this point.
As per reports, an Indian Air Force team arrived in Nepal with specialised equipment, along with experts for DNA collection. The team will begin work on Sunday.
A Chinese team also arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday with thermal cameras, drilling equipment and air-pumping devices for the tunnel rescue. “The Chinese team is being deployed at Hakubesi, while the Indian team is at Syafrubesi,” a military source said.
