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Nepal army uses drilling equipment in bid to rescue 100 workers trapped in tunnels
🇮🇸 Iceland /Disasters & Emergencies

Nepal army uses drilling equipment in bid to rescue 100 workers trapped in tunnels

From Morgunblaðið · () Icelandic

Translated from Icelandic and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Nepalese army rescue teams are using drilling equipment to reach over 100 workers trapped in hydropower plant tunnels following severe floods.
  • The rescue operation is described as "extremely challenging" due to difficult weather conditions and debris.
  • India has sent a specialized tunnel rescue team to assist, leveraging their experience in the Himalayas.

Rescue teams from the Nepalese army are employing drilling equipment in a critical effort to save more than 100 workers trapped inside the tunnels of the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant. The workers have been confined since massive floods inundated the area three days prior.

The government has continued its efforts [...] to rescue the people trapped inside the tunnels of the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant.

— Office of the Prime Minister of NepalStatement affirming the government's commitment to the rescue operation.

The Nepalese government has affirmed its commitment to the rescue, stating in a release that efforts are intensified to clear the tunnel entrances. Images shared by the ministry depicted workers navigating through thick mud and large boulders left by the floods. Approximately 82 personnel, including military and police, are actively engaged in excavating the tunnel entrances.

As part of this effort, work to clear the entrance of the tunnels has been intensified since early Saturday morning.

— Office of the Prime Minister of NepalDetailing the progress and intensified efforts in the rescue operation.

However, the operation faces significant hurdles. Rescue efforts have been hampered by "extremely challenging" weather conditions. The Nepalese army reported on Saturday that specialized equipment, including drilling machines, is being utilized to access the outer sections of the tunnels. India has dispatched a specialized tunnel rescue team to the site following a request for assistance from Nepal.

The rescue operations have become 'extremely challenging' due to poor weather conditions.

— Ministry of Home Affairs, NepalExplaining the difficulties faced by the rescue teams.

This Indian team brings valuable experience in difficult rescue operations within the Himalayas, including expertise from "rat-hole mining" workers trained to navigate confined spaces. The trapped individuals are among 933 workers at the hydropower facilities who were affected when a wall of water surged through the rivers on Wednesday morning. The disaster, attributed by the US Geological Survey to a glacial lake outburst flood, has also resulted in nearly 3,000 missing and 633 confirmed deaths.

The army rescue teams are using equipment, including drilling machines, in an attempt to find the outer parts of the tunnels.

— Nepalese ArmyDescribing the specific methods being employed in the rescue.
About this summary

Originally published by Morgunblaðið in Icelandic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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