Dhunche, August 31
As many as 198 employees and workers at the Upper Trishuli-3B hydropower project remain unaccounted for following the devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River on August 26.
The flood affected the project site, where employees, construction workers, consultants, security guards and others were present. The project is being developed by Trishuli Jal Vidyut Company Limited.
According to the company, 201 people were initially reported missing or uncontactable after the flood. Three have since made contact, while 198 remain unaccounted for. A further 91 people from the project have been rescued and moved to safety.
Those unaccounted for include project employees and their family members, workers employed by civil construction contractors, electromechanical and hydromechanical personnel, consultants, security guards and students undertaking internships at the project.
Lila Aryal, deputy director of the company, said 21 of the project’s 48 employees remain unaccounted for.
“Twenty-one of the 48 employees at the project are unaccounted for,” Aryal said. “Those who were outside the project site are in contact with us. Everyone else was there.”
All workers inside tunnel reported safe
The company said all employees and workers who were inside the Upper Trishuli-3B project’s tunnel when the flood struck managed to get out safely.
“Everyone who was inside the tunnel managed to get out safely,” Aryal said. “Water initially entered the tunnel, so they moved higher up and waited. They came out after the water level went down.”
The project chief and the head of the consulting team have been at the site in recent days, coordinating search and rescue efforts. A team of 51 Nepali Army personnel has also reached the project site.
Search extends 1.5km into tunnel
As part of the search for those unaccounted for, a team including the Upper Trishuli-3B project chief entered the tunnel and inspected around 1.5 kilometres of its length.
The company said there was no indication that anyone was trapped in the section that was searched. However, the team could not proceed further because of darkness, mud and silt inside the tunnel.
“They went about 1.5 kilometres into the tunnel and came back after establishing that there was no one there,” Aryal said. “Beyond that point, it became dark, and there was too much mud and silt to proceed.”
The company is now preparing to bring additional equipment to expand the search inside the tunnel and at other possible locations.
Excavators need to be flown in
The flood destroyed or disrupted road access to the project, making it difficult to transport heavy equipment to the site.
The company is preparing to send excavators and other equipment by helicopter to support the search and excavation work. However, helicopter availability has caused delays.
“We are preparing to send an excavator and are also sending other supplies,” Aryal said. “We will start excavation after the equipment arrives. For now, people themselves are doing the digging.”
The excavator was initially scheduled to be transported a day earlier but could not be sent because of difficulties arranging a helicopter.
“The excavator was supposed to be sent yesterday, but it did not go. It is still being prepared today,” Aryal said. “There has been some delay because of the helicopter.”
The missing people are not limited to Upper Trishuli-3B project employees. A significant number of workers employed by consulting and construction companies are also unaccounted for.
According to the company, most of the personnel from the consulting side who were at the project site remain out of contact. One or two people who were away from the site have made contact, while another person reportedly escaped to safety.
Many workers employed by the civil construction contractor were also at their camp when the flood struck. The company said four Chinese nationals were among those staying at the camp.
“A lot of civil construction work was underway, and the workers, including four Chinese nationals, were at the camp,” Aryal said. “Those who were in the camp area, rather than the office area, may all have been affected.”
Search and rescue teams, including the Nepali Army, have been deployed at the project site since the flood. The project chief and the head of the consulting team are also there.
However, difficult terrain and the lack of necessary equipment have hampered the search. Workers are currently carrying out excavation and searches manually, with the company planning to accelerate the operation once excavators and other equipment arrive.
While everyone known to have been inside the tunnel has been reported safe, the fate of a large number of employees and workers who were in the project camp and other areas remains unknown.
The company said efforts are continuing to locate the 198 people who remain unaccounted for.
