A major flash flood struck a region on the Nepal-Tibet border last week, affecting multiple hydropower stations and killing approximately 1,300 people. The Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station became partially buried and blocked by massive debris, trapping workers inside a tunnel that had been rendered nearly unrecognizable by the disaster.
Tunnelling expert Arnold Dix, president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, was brought in to advise Nepal’s hydropower authorities on rescue operations. The team faced multiple obstacles starting with locating the tunnel entrance itself, which had been buried underground by the enormous avalanche. Using engineering techniques, topographic maps, satellite imagery, and helicopter footage, rescuers triangulated the entrance location and began excavation efforts.
Once inside, the team confronted a tunnel completely blocked by mud and rocks, some larger than vehicles, along with standing water throughout the passage. Rescuers utilized explosives to clear debris, coordinated carefully by the Nepalese army to avoid collapsing the tunnel or harming trapped survivors. Simultaneously, excavators and pumping systems created trenches leading to a nearby river to drain water from the tunnel.
Rescuers then dug a small person-sized passageway through the debris at the tunnel’s roof, which provided structural support while reducing flooding risk. In the early hours of Friday morning, the team heard voices and made contact with survivors. They successfully extracted two men, Sanjaya Shah and Kabir Maharjan, alive from the tunnel.
Dix indicated that rescuers had advanced approximately 60 meters from the entrance and estimated needing an additional 150 meters of excavation to reach the hydropower station deep within the mountain. Dozens of people remain presumed trapped inside. The team continues facing significant hazards, including potential flooding from multiple directions and the possibility of encountering water-logged debris that could endanger rescuers. Despite these dangers, the successful rescue has reinvigorated efforts to locate additional survivors.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI