31st August 2026 – (Kathmandu) Nepal is making urgent efforts to locate and assist hundreds of people believed to be trapped in tunnels at hydropower projects, including the Trishuli-3A site, following severe flash floods that struck on Wednesday. Specialist teams from China and India have joined the operation, yet attempts to establish contact with those trapped inside the tunnels have so far yielded no response, according to officials. The majority of those missing are thought to be employees at various hydropower installations across the region.
Authorities in Nepal report that the disaster has claimed at least 903 lives, with more than 4,200 individuals unaccounted for. Local rescue operations continue day and night, but progress is hindered by treacherous conditions. In the adjoining region of Tibet, Chinese state media have confirmed 16 fatalities and 546 people missing, while extensive search efforts are underway amidst adverse weather and thick deposits of silt complicating the recovery effort.
At the Trishuli-3A hydropower project in Nepal, a large number of workers remain missing within the flooded tunnel system. Rescue teams, including a forensic unit from India, are supporting local authorities by analysing DNA samples to help identify victims. Air is being pumped into the tunnels in hopes of reaching any survivors, but families have expressed frustration at what they describe as a slow and challenging rescue mission, highlighting the importance of accelerating the operation. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has emphasised that freeing workers from these tunnels remains the government’s absolute priority, and additional solar power systems are being distributed to restore basic services in affected communities.
Search and rescue activities are also ongoing in some of the worst-hit towns, where residents are relying on generators as electricity supplies remain sporadic. In areas such as Chitwan, authorities have begun the burial of unidentified bodies who were swept away or left unclaimed, with serial numbers and DNA samples collected for future identification.
Meanwhile, China has deployed 117 firefighters and 13 rescue dogs to support operations in Gyirong, an area extensively damaged by mudslides and continuous rainfall. Rescuers continue to face hazardous conditions, complicated by deep silt and turbulent waters. Despite the difficulties, officials on both sides of the border maintain that rescue and relief efforts will persist as long as any hope remains of finding further survivors.