Nepal Rescuers Reach Remote Areas as Power Returns Nearly a Week After Devastating Floods

Rescue teams in Nepal have built temporary bridges and dug through the ruins of hydropower projects to reach workers trapped nearly a week after devastating floods swept across towns and valleys.

About 600 people remain stranded at several hydropower stations, which have become the main focus of the operation. Prime Minister Balendra Shah said more than 11,000 people had been rescued across the affected region and that electricity and communication lines had been restored in some areas. He said at least 939 people had died.

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Thousands of citizens have lost their homes, families, loved ones and property.

Road links to Nuwakot, one of the worst-hit districts, have been restored to support rescue and relief deliveries. Police official Bipin Regmi said a search team recovered 24 bodies from a house in Betrabati village. “We are reaching new areas and recovering bodies,” Regmi told Reuters.

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The government understands the immense pain they are enduring. The path ahead is to support them through this suffering and help them return to normal life through rehabilitation.

Shah said 279 workers had been rescued from hydropower projects, where authorities estimated that nearly 1,000 people had been trapped. Rescue footage showed earth-moving equipment clearing mud and rocks at night, while soldiers searched for access to a tunnel.

A glacier collapse triggered a torrent of ice, rock and mud in Nepal’s border region with China. India and China have assisted with rescue efforts, including the construction of Bailey bridges. Shah said aid worth more than $42 million had reached Nepal and was expected to increase, while describing the disaster as a sign of growing risks in the Himalayan region.

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We are reaching new areas and recovering bodies.