Nepal floods: Rescuers race to save 900 workers trapped in hydropower tunnels as death toll hits 1204

A desperate race is under way to reach hundreds of workers feared trapped deep inside hydropower tunnels in Nepal, as rescuers cling to one of the last major hopes of finding survivors a week after catastrophic flooding devastated the Himalayan region.

At least 1204 people have now been confirmed dead and more than 4200 remain missing after the disaster, which was triggered by the collapse of a glacier near Nepal’s border with China.

With the likelihood of finding people alive elsewhere rapidly diminishing, attention has turned to a network of tunnels beneath hydroelectric projects where workers may have escaped the initial torrent.

Authorities believe about 900 missing workers could be inside the tunnels, some of which contain chambers with air supplies as well as access to food and water.

“We are very confident that there is life in there because ... there is food and water in the building, that was likely built for communication purposes and as a resting place,” Nepal Electricity Authority board member Amshu Kiran Shahi told Reuters.

Major rescue operations are under way or being planned across four hydropower projects, with two sites where about 90 people are missing considered particularly promising because rescuers believe air remains inside.

At the Trishuli-3A project, officials believe a dry chamber may have survived the flooding and oxygen could still be flowing through the tunnel. Pipes are also being used to pump oxygen inside as teams attempt to reach those potentially trapped.

Specialist rescue crews from India, China and the United States have joined the operation.

But beyond the tunnels, authorities acknowledged the window for finding survivors was narrowing.