Nepal rescuers search for 100 dam workers trapped in Trishuli flood tunnels

Tunnel rescue operations at Trishuli dam

Nepali military rescue teams deployed two helicopters to the Trishuli hydroelectric dam construction site in Rasuwa district on Friday, 28 August, to reach more than 100 workers trapped underground. The workers took shelter inside the site's tunnel network on Wednesday, 26 August, when a torrent of mud, water, rock, and ice surged down the river valley near the border with China. Soldiers and rescue personnel crawled through thick mud on their stomachs to reach the tunnel openings and pull out weakened survivors. The prime minister's office reported that 350 workers and local residents had been evacuated from the sector by the army. Military spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet noted that locating the obstructed entry portals remained difficult due to accumulated silt.

Two helicopters were dispatched to the site, but it remains very difficult to locate the tunnel entrances.

Survivor accounts from the disaster zone

Surviving laborers described the rapid destruction of the construction complex as floodwaters tore through the river corridor. Worker Buddha Tamang said he survived because he was inside a tunnel when the wave struck, while managers and other staff on the opposite side were swept away. Evacuated personnel were taken to a temporary relief camp established by authorities in the nearby locality of Bidur. Another survivor, Arjun Kumar Tamang, reported extensive destruction of infrastructure and equipment across the dam site. Indian engineer Ananay Sharma described hearing the collapse from inside the power station building before escaping.

I was at the power plant when I heard a crashing noise. When I came out, everything had disappeared except the river.

Rising death toll and missing workers

Casualty counts continued to climb throughout Friday, 28 August, as emergency teams penetrated deeper into the disaster zone along the Trishuli river. Reported death tolls ranged from 472 in morning dispatches to 584 by Friday evening, while estimates of missing individuals stood between 1,400 and roughly 2,500 people across Nepal and Tibet. Evacuated laborer Dev Shrestha stated that at least 400 workers were on site on Wednesday, adding that fatalities likely exceeded the number of people saved. Relatives of the missing gathered for news of those trapped underground, including Sita Adhikari, whose husband was inside the tunnel.

I have had no news since I spoke to my husband that day at 7 a.m. We also do not know where the efforts to save them stand.

Upstream lake hazards and cross-border aid

Upstream in the valley, emergency officials monitored a 110,000-square-metre lake that formed when flood debris dammed the river channel. The lake began draining on Friday, 28 August, reducing immediate breach risks, though authorities maintained alerts for rains forecast over the weekend. In response to the crisis, the Indian government prepared to send specialized rescue personnel, citing past experience from the 2023 Uttarakhand tunnel operation that rescued 41 workers. Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that a reconnaissance team would deploy first to assess conditions on the ground.