Air Pumped to Trapped Workers in Nepal Tunnel; 3,500 Still Missing

Rescue Operations Underway for Trapped Workers in Rasuwa District

Intensive search and rescue operations kicked off across the rugged Himalayan terrain on Saturday. Emergency crews focused heavily on a blocked tunnel at a hydropower plant in the Rasuwa district, where more than 100 individuals remained trapped following the mid-week disaster. Nepalese Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal confirmed that a specialized rescue team from neighboring India joined local forces on site.

Conditions underground and along the banks of the debris-choked waterways have tested emergency personnel severely. Nepalese rescue workers described their operating environment as “extremely exhausting,” battling thick, deep, and quicksand-like mud. Late Saturday, Norwegian time, teams finally managed to thread an air tube down to the trapped workers.

“We have begun to pump air in through the small opening, and will now start the excavation work to get the rescue team sent in,” Nepalese Interior Minister Sudan Gurung stated regarding the breakthrough.

Casualties and Scale of Devastation Across the Tibet Border

While the vast majority of the registered fatalities occurred within Nepal, officials on the Chinese side confirmed that at least seven people died in Tibet as a result of the same weather and geological crisis. Search teams documented severe destruction across the border region, operating in areas such as Gyirong in Xigaze.

Foreign Minister Khanal stated that Kathmandu formally requested assistance from regional neighbors to cope with the sheer scale of the emergency. Chinese rescue forces were reportedly mobilized and heading toward the impact zones.

Kawan Koirala, a rescue worker with the Nepal Scouts disaster team, detailed the unprecedented nature of the debris flow to the Agence France-Presse (AFP). “This is the first time I see something like this. Everywhere is mud. We have experienced floods in Nepal before, but not like this,” Koirala noted while working along the Trishuli River in the Nuwakot district. “People want their family members back, dead or alive, but we cannot find them.”

International Aid and Tsunami-Like Mudflow Impacts

National disaster management authorities in Nepal warn that the sheer force of the tsunami-like mudwave may have carried victims downstream across the international border into India. Bridges, roads, and infrastructure near waterways—such as the collapsed span over the Tadi River in Nuwakot—remain severely compromised, complicating logistical support.

In response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a direct allocation of 10 million Norwegian kroner in emergency relief funds to support disaster-stricken communities in the Himalayas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What caused the flash flood along the Nepal-Tibet border?

According to Nepalese authorities, the disaster was triggered when a section of an ice shelf collapsed, plunging more than 5,000 meters down into a mountain valley.

How many people are reported missing?

Nepalese officials reported that more than 3,500 people remain unaccounted for following the mid-week catastrophe.

What international support has been deployed?

Specialized rescue teams from India are actively assisting local crews on the ground, Chinese rescue forces are en route, and nations like Norway have committed direct financial aid—including a 10 million krone emergency assistance package.