Kathmandu, 14 Sep: Foreign rescue teams deployed to search for people missing inside tunnels and debris of hydropower projects in Rasuwa following the Bhotekoshi floods have begun leaving the area, while the Nepali Army and remaining foreign teams continue search and rescue operations.
Chinese, South Korean and United Arab Emirates (UAE) rescue teams have withdrawn from the challenging search operation due to difficult geographical conditions, water accumulated inside tunnels, mud and large rocks. Nepali Army, Indian and Australian teams remain deployed at various hydropower projects.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, priority is being given to searches inside tunnels, while search and rescue operations will also continue in other debris sites. Authority spokesperson Shanti Maharjan said 24 personnel, including 13 from the Nepali Army and 11 from the Indian rescue team, are searching inside the tunnel of the 22-MW Chilime Hydropower Project. Work is underway to remove around 70 metres of debris inside the tunnel.
The Nepali Army has prepared an access route through rocky terrain by carrying out controlled blasting to transport heavy equipment to the tunnel. Authorities expect that expanding access for equipment will make further searches easier.
At Audit-3 of the 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, which was damaged by the flood, the Nepali Army and an Australian DART team are conducting searches. Water continues to flow out of the tunnel, making it difficult to enter, according to officials.
At Audit-1 in Hakubesi, a 16-member rescue team comprising Nepali Army and Australian personnel has been deployed. Similarly, 35 Nepali Army personnel are continuing searches inside the tunnel of the 20-MW Langtang Hydropower Project.
Mud and large rocks were found at the entrance leading toward the exit route. The entrance is approximately 10 metres long, three feet wide and four feet high. Efforts are underway to clear the obstruction. No one has been found inside the tunnel so far, officials said.
At the 60-MW Trishuli-3A Hydropower Project, a team comprising 33 Nepali Army personnel, 11 Nepal Police personnel and 10 Armed Police Force personnel has been deployed. Continuous rainfall caused a landslide that buried the entrance to the tunnel leading to the powerhouse, and efforts are underway to reopen it.
At the 37-MW Trishuli-3B Hydropower Project, 98 Nepali Army personnel and 10 personnel from Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force are involved in the search. Excavation is being carried out deep inside the residential area of the project.
Although the river surface is at an elevation of 653 metres above sea level, excavation has reached a depth of 651 metres without locating the building structure, according to officials.
At the 120-MW Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, nine personnel—including five from the Nepali Army and four from the Australian DART team—are involved in the search. Heavy equipment is required inside the tunnel, but transporting it to the site has been difficult because of the challenging terrain.
The joint team has reportedly reached the project’s powerhouse, transformer room and control point.
Separate Mechanism to Search Debris
Authority spokesperson Maharjan said preparations were also underway to continue search and rescue operations in debris sites alongside the tunnel searches.
According to her, search and rescue operations will be conducted in flood-hit areas such as Syafrubesi, Timure, Mailung, Betravati and Devighat through a coordinated mechanism involving security personnel, local governments, elected representatives, district administration offices, and owners of damaged houses or their relatives.
“Search and rescue inside debris of damaged private and public structures is more sensitive. We are preparing to establish a separate mechanism to collect and preserve important items and deploy it as quickly as possible,” spokesperson Maharjan said.
She added that teams involving Nepali security agencies continue to carry out search and rescue operations inside tunnels and at various locations within the hydropower projects.
