On September 2, according to AFP news agency, Nepalese rescue forces continued to search for possible survivors inside hydropower tunnels, 1 week after the devastating flash flood that left hundreds of workers missing.
However, hopes of finding survivors are gradually decreasing as rescue teams continuously encounter road sections blocked by mud and rocks.
Initially, the Nepalese government believed that more than 100 workers may still be living inside many tunnels.
Search and rescue operations are still underway, and foreign rescue teams are also providing support at hydropower tunnels," said Shanti Mahat, spokeswoman for the Nepal National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Agency (NDRRMA).
According to NDRRMA, 639 hydropower workers have been missing since August 26, after mud and rock floods flooded the factory construction areas. Those believed to be trapped in the tunnels are among them.
Ms. Mahat said that in some cases, rescue forces face difficulties right from identifying the entrance to the tunnel. Even when they find the entrance, they still cannot go deep because the tunnels are filled with soil and mud.
On August 31, rescue forces removed at least 3 bodies from 2 tunnels. Teams also advanced several hundred meters into some tunnels before being blocked by mud.
We have reached all the tunnels, but access is very difficult due to rocks and mud," Nepal Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said on September 1.
The disaster also caused significant damage to the Nepalese power system. The Nepal Electricity Authority said that 11 hydropower plants and one solar power plant, with a total capacity of 431.1MW, have stopped operating. This number is equivalent to about 10% of the total installed power generation capacity of the whole country.
In addition, 15 power projects under construction, with a total expected capacity of 470MW, were also damaged by flash floods.
Nepalese rescue forces and foreign teams continue to search in tunnels, although the large volume of mud and rocks makes rescue operations difficult.
