Rescuers Search for Workers Trapped in Nepal Mudslides

Nepali army rescuers are conducting searches through tunnels leading to the Rasuwagadhi hydroelectric power station for workers feared trapped underground following severe mudslides along the Nepal-Tibet border. Six days after the disaster, authorities estimate that approximately 100 workers may still be alive inside tunnels at various hydropower sites, while a total of 933 workers remain unaccounted for.

Nepal has experienced significant floods and landslides in the past, particularly during the monsoon season. In September 2024, record rainfall caused floods and landslides that resulted in over 250 fatalities and extensive damage to infrastructure and hydropower projects.

The Rasuwagadhi area faced another severe flash flood a year later, damaging critical infrastructure. The latest disaster, caused by a massive glacial collapse and subsequent flooding, has once again revealed the vulnerability of Nepal's mountainous communities and its rapidly growing hydropower sector.

Rescue teams are working against time to reach those potentially trapped in the blocked underground passages.