Kathmandu, August 31: The death toll from the recent disaster in Nepal has exceeded 900, with over 4,000 individuals still unaccounted for, as reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority of Nepal. Meanwhile, the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company has announced that rescue teams have been unable to reach the underground power house of the project.
In an official statement, the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company confirmed that while the Nepal Army team managed to access the tunnel of the 111-megawatt Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, they could not reach the underground power house.
Narnath Nyupane, Secretary of Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company Limited, stated that the rescue workers reached the open section of the tunnel but could not proceed further. “They got as far as the section where the tunnel was open for 1-2 feet. Then they discovered that the tunnel was blocked. Therefore, drilling and other equipment are necessary to proceed. That is why the army returned, stating that it was not feasible to go further,” he explained.
Nyupane urged the government to provide additional equipment and suggested that the army should undertake similar operations as they did in the Upper Trishuli 3A and Upper Trishuli 3B projects.
Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat issued a statement regarding the situation. It noted that following flooding in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa, the rescue team led by the Nepal Army returned after searching inside the tunnel of the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project. The army team, which included engineers and a drone unit, began the search amid concerns that people might be trapped in the tunnel’s final section.
The Prime Minister’s Secretariat reported that despite reaching the innermost part of the tunnel and deploying drones, no individuals were found. However, the rescue team could not access the underground power house of the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project.
In the meantime, according to the Nepal Army, on Monday, a military helicopter rescued 1,330 individuals affected by the Bhotekoshi flood, completing the operation by 1:30 PM.
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