Half a thousand workers could be trapped in tunnels of hydroelectric plants, while Nepal surpasses 900 dead from last week’s floods.
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According to information from Associated Press, this Monday rescuers began work to reach the workers believed to be trapped in tunnels of hydroelectric plants buried by mud after the catastrophic floods between Nepal and Tibet, China, while the death toll continues to rise and families search for their loved ones.
The latest official figure of deceased reached 930, with more than 4,700 missing. A private sector association representing electric companies reported that at least 900 workers remain unaccounted for among 12 hydroelectric projects damaged by the floods in the Nepali districts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot, in the mountainous central part of the country.
The president of the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal (IPPAN), Mohan Kumar Dangi, told the agency that it is estimated that at least 500 of the 900 missing workers are trapped in the tunnels, although authorities have provided varying figures and have indicated that several foreign teams are assisting Nepali rescuers.
At least one expert stated that the tunnels would offer enough space for people to take refuge and that some workers might have access to oxygen. However, others warned that the chances of finding survivors decrease over time.
Dangi said that some workers managed to contact authorities and ask for help when the sudden flood occurred last week. Others who managed to escape informed authorities and their families that many of their colleagues were still in the tunnels.
However, the IPPAN president added to the U.S. agency, six days after the disaster, fears are growing that some may have died from suffocation.
“We are working on the search and rescue of people trapped in the hills, settlements, and riverside areas,” said Nepali army spokesperson, Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet.
Nepal’s disaster management agency reported on Monday that 903 deaths had been counted in the country, with 4,247 people missing, including 592 foreigners. Until Sunday, Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing, and Chinese state media indicated that 261 of the missing were foreigners, including more than one hundred Nepalis.
Power plants are supplied with energy through giant tunnels where people are trapped. Workers removing mud from a power plant devastated by floods in Dhading, Nepal, stated that the plant is a key node for electricity supply to more than 20,000 people in the region.
Likewise, the workers consulted by the agency expressed their hope that it will not be rebuilt near the river.
Rescue efforts focus on people trapped in the gigantic tunnels built to control water flow and generate hydroelectric power, at multiple sites throughout the central regions of the Asian country.
“The tunnels are built to access hydroelectric infrastructure and divert water, an essential step to generate power. These tunnels are large enough for trucks to pass through,” said Jakob Steiner, a geoscientist at the University of Graz in Austria.
“There is enough space for people to safely take refuge inside and, as we understand, they have managed to supply oxygen to some of those trapped and are now trying to rescue them. However, it is a race against time, as people need food and water,” added Steiner.
At the Upper Trishuli-1 hydroelectric project, in the Rasuwa district—one of the most affected—at least 576 people remain missing, according to Dangi, who added that about 300 are believed to be trapped in the project tunnel. Rescuers have been searching for survivors for days, working in the rain.
At the Trishuli-3 hydroelectric project, teams were working to descend approximately 15 meters inside the tunnel in an attempt to reach the people believed to be trapped, according to Basnet, the army spokesperson.
On the Chinese side, rescue and recovery efforts included rebuilding the road leading to the Gyirong port, on the border between China and Nepal.
Trucks transported giant rocks while workers tried to repave a stretch of the road, as shown on Monday by the state channel CCTV, alongside waters running strongly, intensified by recent rains.
The road is now under between 2 and 3 meters of water, making it difficult for rescuers to access the border. Although some rescue teams managed to reach the border, these would represent only a part of the contingent.
Coverage by Chinese state media has mainly focused on the official response, highlighting the deployment of firefighters, the People’s Liberation Army, and instructions from high command. Little is known about victims on the Chinese side.
After the flood, scenes captured by closed-circuit television cameras spread quickly on social media and screens worldwide. Except in China, according to BBC information.
So far, the country’s main state news program has only aired a still image. It has also been difficult to find the full video on heavily censored Chinese internet. While various aspects of the disaster have been discussed online,
But what is even harder to find are firsthand survivor testimonies describing the sudden floods that have claimed hundreds of lives, with many still missing since Wednesday.
On Saturday, new images from Chinese state media showed rescue teams inspecting affected areas while shouting to any trapped people. But there are few details beyond that. There are no survivor testimonies in Tibet, and there are almost no user recordings showing the fatal moments or their consequences.
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