Nepali Army Rescues Survivors From Flooded Hydropower Tunnel, 100+ Still Trapped | WATCH

New Delhi: Dramatic visuals show Nepal Army rescuers reaching survivors trapped inside a hydropower tunnel in flood-hit Rasuwa, as a massive rescue operation continues amid extremely dangerous conditions.

Nepal Army personnel have been racing against time to rescue workers trapped inside a hydropower tunnel in Nepal's Rasuwa district after devastating flash floods swept through the region.

Dramatic footage released by authorities shows rescuers reaching the tunnel and pulling survivors to safety through thick mud and debris. In one of the visuals, Nepal Army personnel can be seen descending from a hovering helicopter before making their way towards the damaged tunnel site. Another video shows workers being brought out of the tunnel as the rescue operation intensifies.

The Nepal Prime Minister's Office said the Army has successfully rescued around 350 workers and local residents who had been trapped inside the tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project. However, the operation is far from over, with more than 100 people still trapped inside the same tunnel.

The rescue teams are operating under extremely difficult conditions, with floodwaters, debris and damaged infrastructure making access to the tunnel extremely challenging.

Nepal Army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet said two helicopters have been deployed for the operation. However, rescuers are struggling to even locate some of the tunnel's entry points because of the destruction caused by the floods. Relief supplies are also being provided to those who have been rescued.

The Army has deployed specially trained personnel and technical equipment to continue searching for people still inside the tunnel. Authorities are also trying to establish exactly how many people remain trapped.

85 Indians Among Those Rescued

Among the approximately 350 people rescued from the hydropower tunnel are 85 Indian nationals, according to officials cited by India Today.

The rescue comes as Nepal battles one of its worst flood disasters in recent years, with the northern border region near China's Tibet witnessing catastrophic flash floods and landslides.

Survivors have described the floods as arriving with terrifying speed. One worker, Buddha Tamang, said he survived because he was inside a tunnel when the flood struck, while colleagues working outside were swept away. Another survivor, Dev Shrestha, said there had been at least 400 workers at the site and claimed that more people had died than had been rescued.

Nepal Flood Death Toll Soars

Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said Friday that the death toll in the flash floods that struck Wednesday has risen to 538.

The authority said in an update that the number of missing people remained at 977. It said 14, 829 security personnel have been mobilized for search and rescue operations. So far, 3742 people have been rescued.

The tunnel rescue is unfolding against the backdrop of a massive disaster across Nepal's northern region. The flash floods, triggered after a glacial collapse, sent huge volumes of water, ice, rock and debris through river valleys near the Nepal-China border.

The flooding devastated roads, bridges, homes and several hydropower projects, while also cutting a key highway linking Nepal and China. The disaster has left hundreds dead and more than a thousand people missing, with the casualty figures continuing to change as rescue teams reach previously inaccessible areas.

The disaster has also created fresh risks for rescuers. Across the border in Tibet, Chinese authorities temporarily halted rescue operations after a debris-blocked lake began overflowing, raising fears of another surge of water downstream. Nepal also issued warnings after reports of a dam or water barrier bursting on the Tibetan side.

For the Nepal Army, however, the immediate priority remains the 100-plus people still trapped inside the Trishuli hydropower tunnel.

As rescuers battle mud, damaged access points, rapidly moving water and worsening weather, the dramatic footage of survivors being pulled from the tunnel offers a rare glimpse of the desperate operation underway to save those still trapped.

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