Nepal Flash Floods: As rescue operations continue in Nepal, a worker who survived the deadly flash floods at Trishuli-3A Hydropower Station has alleged that a Chinese supervisor left a mud-filled tunnel after workers asked for help to escape. The incident reportedly left hundreds of workers trapped underground as floodwater, mud, and debris entered the tunnel.

Survivor Says Supervisor Left After Workers Sought Help

Raj Chhetri, one of the workers who survived, said he was inside Tunnel No. 3 when the flash floods hit. According to him, he and other workers became alarmed after hearing a loud noise and sensing that something was wrong. He then asked a Chinese supervisor for permission to leave the tunnel. However, he alleged that the supervisor told him he would check the situation and then left the tunnel himself.

“I asked the Chinese supervisor to let us out. He said, ‘I’ll go and see,’ and then he fled,” Chhetri alleged, as per several media reports. Recalling the moment the disaster struck, Chhetri said a massive rush of water, mud and debris suddenly entered the tunnel, sweeping away workers, vehicles and personal belongings. He said he ran towards the tunnel entrance and managed to escape.

According to him, four workers fled, but two of them are still missing. “Four of us fled. Two are still missing,” he said. The project is being built by China’s Power China Corporation, whose personnel are involved in supervising the engineering work. Chhetri claimed that around 265 people were working inside Tunnel No. 3 when the floods struck.

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Chhetri Raises Questions Over Flood Warnings

He alleged that several bodies were trapped inside. “The bodies of many hydropower workers are lying in the tunnel above. Many are still alive. We could hear cries of ‘Save, save’,” Chhetri said. He further accused Chinese authorities of knowing about the risk of floods before the disaster. “What the Chinese government did was wrong. They knew about the flood and landslide,” he alleged. He added that workers could have been evacuated if they had received an early warning. “If we had received information beforehand, many lives and property could have been saved,” he said.

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