Search and rescue operations are continuing in areas devastated by the sudden and catastrophic flooding of the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa.
The operation is being carried out with the involvement and coordination of the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, along with rescue teams from foreign countries. A week after the floods, however, rescuers are still facing difficulties in conducting search and rescue operations inside the tunnels.
The Nepali Army, with support from foreign rescue teams, is carrying out operations inside tunnels that remain extremely dangerous and challenging.
According to Brigadier General and Spokesperson for the Nepali Army Rajaram Basnet, by 11:00 am on Wednesday, a rescue team had reached about 150 metres inside the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower tunnel. The team was unable to proceed further because of large rocks blocking the passage, and efforts to clear the obstruction and continue the search are under way.
Similarly, at the Langtang Hydropower Project, a joint team of 25 rescuers, including foreign personnel, has entered approximately 150 metres into the tunnel and is continuing search and rescue operations. A joint team, including foreign rescuers, is also conducting search and rescue operations at the Chilime Hydropower Project, according to the Army. At the Upper Trishuli 1 Hydropower Project in Haku, a Nepali Army team is engaged in search and rescue operations.
At the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project, a joint team of 93 personnel, including Nepali Army personnel, is clearing mud and debris using three excavators and one Bobcat. The tunnel outlet was located after the use of compressor machines, breakers and blasting. The team is also pumping out around 1.5 metres of water that accumulated inside the tunnel overnight due to rainfall.
At Trishuli 3B, a rescue team comprising 61 Nepali Army personnel, three civilians and the project’s managing director is engaged in the operation. According to the Army Headquarters, the team has identified the project office and residential area and has been using an excavator to construct an access road to reach the site.
894 workers missing after Bhotekoshi flood
A total of 894 people working at various hydropower projects in Rasuwa have gone missing following the devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River.
The figures were provided by the Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN). the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project (216 MW) has reported the highest number of missing persons, with 573 people unaccounted for. Similarly, 122 people working at the Upper Trishuli-3B Hydropower Project (37 MW) are missing, while 93 people from the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project (111 MW) remain unaccounted for.
At the Langtang Khola Hydropower Project (20 MW), 41 people are missing, while 42 people from the Upper Trishuli-3A Hydropower Project (60 MW) have also been reported missing. Likewise, eight people from the Chilime Hydropower Project (22 MW) and seven people from the Mailung Khola Hydropower Project (5 MW) are unaccounted for.
The Trishuli Hydropower Project (24 MW) and Devighat Hydropower Project (14.1 MW) have each reported one missing person. Similarly, two people from the Middle Trishuli Ganga Hydropower Project (15.6 MW) and four people from the Rasuwa Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project (120 MW) are missing.
44-member S Korean rescue team arrives
The South Korean Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), deployed to Nepal to assist in search and rescue operations, arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday and reached Battar in Nuwakot to intensify the search for missing people.
The team will establish Battar as its base for search and rescue operations and give priority to locating missing people, including South Korean nationals. The South Korean Government dispatched the 44-member KDRT at the request of the Government of Nepal.
The KDRT landed at Tribhuvan International Airport at 6:27 am on Wednesday aboard a KC-330 ‘Cygnus’ multirole aerial tanker aircraft of the Republic of Korea Air Force.
Meanwhile, two US military aircraft carrying small loaders and other equipment required for relief and rescue operations also arrived in Nepal on Wednesday.
The aircraft brought essential equipment and supplies to support the search, rescue and relief operations being led by the Nepali authorities.
According to the US Embassy in Kathmandu, around 5,000 specialised items have been brought to Nepal to support rescue and relief efforts following the flood that struck Rasuwa on August 26.
The consignment also includes 500 first-aid kits and stretchers, the embassy said.
The embassy said the supplies were brought at the request of the government of Nepal, adding that additional relief materials worth USD 3.6 million had already been delivered. It said the assistance reflected the partnership between Nepal and the United States.
Japan extends emergency aid
Similarly, the Government of Japan has extended emergency humanitarian assistance to support affected communities. The emergency relief goods arrived in Nepal on Wednesday and were officially handed over during a ceremony attended by representatives of both governments and JICA Nepal.
Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, Maeda Toru, handed over emergency relief goods to the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mahabir Pun, during a ceremony held at the Humanitarian Staging Area of Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday.
On the occasion, a Letter of Delivery and Acceptance was exchanged between Matsuzaki Mizuki, Chief Representative of the JICA Nepal Office, and Minister Pun.
The assistance package included blankets, plastic sheets, sleeping pads, tents, and portable jerry cans, weighing almost 9.3 tonnes for the affected communities.
