Kathmandu, September 7
The Nepali Army has estimated that 121 people are trapped inside tunnels of various hydropower projects affected by the Rasuwa floods on August 26.
Speaking at a press conference organised by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority on Monday, Brigadier General Subash Jung Thapa said the Army’s assessment showed that 121 people had entered the tunnels.
“We have evidence that only 121 people entered the tunnels,” he said. “We will continue search and rescue operations until all the tunnels have been cleared.”
Thapa said the Army also suspects that some other hydropower project workers may have been caught outside the tunnels.
Based on an assessment of the damage to the hydropower project tunnels, Thapa estimated that the floodwater and debris descended at a speed of around 180 kilometres per hour.
