Nepal rescuers blast hillside in search of hydropower workers as families wait anxiously

What the report says

Rescue teams in Nepal are using explosives to cut into a hillside along the Trishuli River as they try to reach hydropower workers believed trapped in mud-filled tunnels after severe floods. The BBC reported that families of more than 600 missing workers are waiting anxiously for news, while rescuers also pump air into parts of the Trishuli-3A site in hopes of finding survivors before time runs out.

The flood disaster on the Nepal-Tibet border has left a vast human toll. Nepal’s disaster management authority has put the death toll at 939 and said nearly 3,925 people are missing, including hundreds of foreign nationals. Officials say 279 people have been rescued from affected sites, and an international search effort involving Nepalese and Chinese military personnel, plus experts from India, Korea and Australia, is continuing.

The hydropower sector is central to Nepal’s economy, and authorities said at least 11 projects completed or under construction were damaged. Family members interviewed by the BBC described frustration at the pace of the search but continued to hope trapped workers may still be alive, especially where tunnels may have air systems. A separate part of the report said downstream areas such as Chitwan have also been grappling with bodies carried by floodwaters, forcing temporary burials and DNA identification efforts.