The devastating Nepal floods have left as many as 537 workers missing after being trapped inside tunnels at hydropower projects across Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, triggering a massive rescue operation.

According to the information, 933 workers were trapped across nine hydropower projects, with 361 rescued so far. Rescue teams are battling thick mud and debris clogging the tunnels, while around 10,000 security personnel and rescue workers have been deployed to reach those still trapped.

The Nepali Army is using heavy machinery and controlled blasting to clear the blocked tunnels and assist the rescue efforts.

93 Workers Feared Trapped At Rasuwagadhi

At the 111-MW Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project in Rasuwa, the search for 93 workers feared trapped inside a tunnel has ended without any breakthrough.

The rescue team risked entering the most dangerous section of the tunnel, where conditions made it extremely difficult for people to search directly. Thermal-camera-equipped drones were then deployed to scan the dark and narrow sections that were inaccessible to rescuers.

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Following a prolonged search, the drones did not find any movement or anybody alive inside the tunnel. On the directive from the Prime Minister’s Office, the search and rescue operation was paused, and the rescue team members returned to Dhunche.

933 Hydropower Workers Missing, 361 Rescued

According to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 933 people associated with various hydropower projects were missing after floods and landslides struck several parts of the country.

However, 361 of them were rescued. A total of 537 workers remain missing. Authorities face the difficult task of determining whether the missing workers are trapped inside tunnels, have managed to reach safer higher ground, or were swept away by floodwaters.

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Nepal Flood Toll Crosses 900

The hydropower crisis comes amid one of Nepal's worst flood disasters in recent years. Over 903 people have been killed, while around 4,200 remain missing since Wednesday, according to the report.

The Prime Minister's Secretariat said the Army-led team had returned after completing the search at the Rasuwagadhi project.

Despite the failed search, rescue operations continue in other affected areas as authorities try to locate hundreds of people still unaccounted for.

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