Rasuwa [Nepal], August 28 (ANI): The Nepali Army has intensified rescue operations since early morning to evacuate people trapped inside the tunnel of a hydropower project in Rasuwa following flooding.
Despite the challenging terrain and hazardous conditions, the Army rescue team has so far safely rescued two workers from the tunnel, visuals shared by the Nepal Army showed.
A search is underway to determine how many people remain trapped inside, with efforts continuing to evacuate them.
The Army has deployed technical equipment and specially trained personnel to continue the search and rescue operation despite the difficult conditions inside the tunnel.
The crisis stems from a catastrophic flash flood that struck the Tibet-Nepal border on August 26 (Wednesday), sending a powerful surge of water, sediment, and boulders through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems and leaving widespread devastation in its wake. Nepal is currently grappling with the aftermath of the major flash flood that struck the Rasuwa district on Wednesday morning.
Nepal Police on Friday issued a fresh alert for floods in the Himalayan country, evacuating people from Trishuli. The death toll from the devastating Bhotekoshi flood on Wednesday rose to 475, according to police, The Kathmandu Post reported.
A police official told ANI that all forms of work, including the rebuilding of the roads in the region, have halted.
Nepal Police officer P Chaudhary said, "The water level is about to rise, so everyone is being stopped. The vehicles that were engaged in the operation are all returning. They are all coming back. Everyone is being evacuated from there and is being taken to a safe location. All the work has stopped. Even worse flooding is yet to come; that is why everyone is being put on alert."
Earlier today, an earthquake of magnitude 5.1 hit Sichuan in China, prompting a flood alert in Nepal. People in the Trishuli area of Nepal were evacuated again as a heavy flow of water from above has threatened to raise the river's water level, Nepal Police stated.
The earthquake jolted Longchang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre, CGTN reported.
Issuing an alert, Nepal Police said that a dam on the Tibet side has burst again.
"Information has been received that the water dam on the Tibet side has burst again. Therefore, all security personnel, rescue workers involved in rescue and relief operations, and the general public are requested to remain immediately alert and move to safe locations or notify others," Nepal Police posted on X. (ANI)
Nepali Army deploys special team at flood-hit hydropower tunnel in Rasuwa, 2 rescued
