Nepal races to rescue 639 trapped in power plant tunnel, death toll hits 987 with 4,000 missing
Geopolitics
Nepali rescue teams are rushing to build temporary bridges and launch a major search operation in remote Himalayan areas after last week's massive floods and glacial lake outburst landslides. Nepal's National Disaster Management Authority reported the death toll has surged to 987, with around 4,000 people still missing, including 583 foreigners. Officials are focusing on rescuing at least 639 hydropower plant workers still trapped underground in tunnels. The critical point is the Trishuli hydropower plant in Rasuwa district, where mountain guide Ashish Gurung, part of the rescue team, said mud and debris have blocked the entrance, making it inaccessible on foot. Bulldozers and excavators are needed, but only two machines are on site—one broken and the other under repair—with an estimated 500 people trapped inside. Earlier, rescue teams managed to extract 279 workers from several hydropower projects. Authorities have opened a route into Nuwakot district, one of the hardest-hit areas, where police officer Bipin Rijal said teams recovered 24 bodies from a single house in Betrawati village. Prime Minister Balendra Shah posted on social media Monday night that over 11,000 survivors have been rescued and that electricity and communications have been partially restored. This disaster is a major test for Shah's government, which has been in power for only six months. Although Nepal has declined general international rescue teams, it has requested advanced technology and specialized experts, such as vital sign detectors, large freezers for preserving bodies, and temporary steel bridges. China has expedited opening a route along the Nepal border in steep mountain gorges and has sent DNA experts, relief supplies, drones, and water purifiers. South Korea has dispatched a 44-member emergency rescue team to Rasuwa after nine South Korean workers went missing in power plant projects. Among international partners aiding Nepal, India and China are leading, joined by the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, the European Union, and the United Arab Emirates, with over $42 million in aid flowing into Nepal. Prime Minister Shah stated that this catastrophe serves as a warning about the increasing risks in the Himalayas and that it is time to seriously address climate change-induced disasters on the global stage. This aligns with Chinese state media, which attributed the massive floods to glacial instability under the long-term effects of global warming.
