Kathmandu, 5 Sep: A team including the Nepali Army has achieved a remarkable success in rescuing people who had been trapped inside tunnels for up to 10 days after the Bhotekoshi flood caused unimaginable damage to various hydropower projects.
As search and rescue operations were intensified, 31-year-old Sanjay Kumar Sah of Tilathi Koiladi–4, Saptari, and 44-year-old Kabir Maharjan of Kirtipur, Kathmandu, who had been trapped inside the tunnel of the Trishuli–3 ‘A’ Hydropower Project, were rescued alive on Friday. Both were airlifted by helicopter to Birendra Hospital in Chhauni, Kathmandu, where they are receiving treatment. The Nepali Army said hopes have increased that more people could still be alive inside the tunnel.
Nepali Army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet said search and rescue efforts had been intensified, considering the possibility that additional people might be trapped inside the tunnel. He said, “Our efforts to rescue those inside the tunnel are continuing. The search and rescue operation will continue until everyone is found.” According to him, a joint team comprising 75 Nepali Army personnel, 18 personnel from the Armed Police Force, Nepal, along with Nepal Police personnel and technical experts, has been deployed inside the tunnel of Trishuli–3 ‘A’.
A total of 13 aircraft—seven belonging to the Nepali Army and six from the private sector—have been continuously deployed for search and rescue operations in various areas affected by floods and landslides.
The rescue team has intensified efforts to reach the structures inside the tunnel of Trishuli–3 ‘B’. A joint team comprising 89 Army personnel, three civilians and the project’s managing director has been deployed there. The project office and staff residential area have already been identified, and efforts are being accelerated to construct an access road using excavators and remove soil and other obstacles with Bobcats.
The Army said that rescuers have entered 426 meters into the tunnel from Audit–1. Efforts are underway to bring in an excavator and establish a link-up with Trishuli–3 ‘A’ so that the necessary rescue equipment can be taken inside the tunnel.
Three Bodies Found Inside Tunnels
The search and rescue team has reportedly recovered one body from the tunnel of Trishuli–3 ‘A’ and two bodies from the tunnel of Langtang Hydropower Project, bringing the total number of bodies recovered to three.
Search and rescue operations are continuing inside the tunnel of the under-construction Langtang Hydropower Project. Meanwhile, a joint team including foreign technical experts has started generators and mud pumps to remove the accumulated sludge from the tunnel of Chilime Hydropower Project.
Similarly, a joint rescue team comprising 17 Nepali Army personnel and representatives of the Upper Trishuli–1 Hydropower Project is conducting a search inside the tunnel at Haku.
The Nepali Army has also deployed 55 personnel from its engineering corps to install a bridge over the Tadi River at Devighat and prepare the necessary foundations for the bridge in order to restore transportation links in the affected areas. Efforts are also underway to install an Acrow bridge over the Trishuli River at Devighat and resume transportation.
Large Number of Personnel Deployed for Rescue
The Nepali Army said it has mobilized a large number of personnel for search and rescue operations, healthcare services, management of bodies and reopening roads in the flood-affected areas.
According to the Directorate of Military Public Relations and Information, more than 9,300 Nepali Army personnel have been directly deployed in affected areas stretching from Timure in Rasuwa to Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan and East Nawalparasi.
The soldiers are involved in searching for and rescuing injured and affected people, assisting with the management of bodies, clearing blocked roads and providing emergency medical treatment. Foot patrols are also being conducted in forests, hills, rivers and settlements in the affected areas to ensure the safety of local residents.
Teams including medical officers and other healthcare personnel are providing necessary medical services to affected and rescued people.
The Army has said that an integrated response has been launched to address the crisis caused by the floods, covering everything from aerial rescue and high-risk searches inside tunnels to the restoration of roads and bridges, management of bodies and provision of healthcare.
