KATHMANDU — Nepali army rescue teams used drilling equipment Saturday to reach over 100 people trapped inside a hydropower tunnel following devastating floods at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project in Rasuwa three days earlier.
Nepal's prime minister's office said work to clear the tunnel entrance intensified since early Saturday morning. A total of 82 personnel, comprising both army and police, are excavating the tunnel entrance. The rescue effort faces "extremely challenging" conditions due to adverse weather.
The Nepal Army said rescuers are using "equipment including drilling machines in an effort to locate the outer section of the tunnel."
On Thursday, the prime minister's office reported that the army had already rescued 350 people from the site under "extremely risky" conditions, but more than 100 individuals remained trapped.
The disaster on Wednesday morning, near the Tibet-Nepal border, was caused by a glacial collapse, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 933 workers were on hydropower projects along the affected rivers when the wall of water swept down.
The overall disaster has left nearly 3,000 people missing, with 633 confirmed dead.
India has dispatched a specialized tunnel rescue team to assist Nepal following a request from the Nepali government. The team has reached Trishuli and will conduct an initial aerial survey. India brings experience with difficult Himalayan tunnel rescues, including teams of "rat-hole" miners trained to crawl into narrow spaces.
