Hope is fading but rescue teams are refusing to give up in Nepal, where hundreds of workers are believed to remain trapped inside mud-filled tunnels following catastrophic flooding near the Tibet border.
The national disaster agency says the death toll has now exceeded 1,000, while more than 3,900 people remain unaccounted for.
Among the missing are more than 600 workers who were inside tunnels at hydropower facilities along the Trishuli River when the disaster struck.
Rescuers Push Deeper Underground
The rescue effort has become a battle against time.
Engineers have been pumping air into some of the tunnels in an attempt to provide oxygen to people who may still be alive underground.
One rescue team succeeded in reaching a tunnel connected to a hydropower facility but had to retreat after failing to locate any workers.
Authorities have also used explosives to break through sections of the surrounding hillside where debris has blocked access.
Nepalese authorities say the rescue operation has been stepped up, with military personnel from Nepal and China leading the effort.
Experts from India, South Korea and Australia are also contributing to the operation.
Loved Ones Refuse to Give Up
Outside the damaged sites, families are waiting for any sign that their relatives have survived.
Anushila Bhandari has been waiting for news of her husband, Aurus, a 33-year-old engineer who was working at one of the affected projects.
“I wish we could find him. I wish he would come home,” she said.
For other families, the presence of oxygen systems inside some of the tunnels provides a reason to remain hopeful.
But relatives have expressed frustration over what they describe as the slow pace of the rescue effort.
Jiban Khadka, whose relative is among those trapped, said every passing moment was important.
Hundreds Already Rescued
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said 279 people had so far been brought to safety from the affected hydropower sites.
However, the number of people still missing means the operation remains one of Nepal’s largest and most challenging recent rescue missions.
The terrain has made the work particularly dangerous, while blocked underground passages and heavy mud have complicated attempts to reach deeper sections of the tunnels.
Major Blow to Nepal’s Hydropower Sector
The disaster has also damaged an industry that plays a major role in Nepal’s economy and energy supply.
At least 11 hydropower projects that were either completed or under construction were affected by the floods.
Nepal has spent years developing hydropower facilities along its mountain rivers, employing large numbers of workers ranging from construction labourers to highly trained engineers.
The destruction therefore represents not only a humanitarian crisis but also a major setback for infrastructure development.
Growing Concern Over Himalayan Climate Risks
Prime Minister Shah has described the disaster as far from an ordinary event and warned that climate-related risks in the Himalayan region are increasing.
The scale of the floods and mudslides has once again exposed the vulnerability of communities and infrastructure in mountainous areas.
For the rescue teams, the priority remains finding those still missing.
For the families gathered around the affected sites, the hope is that the next breakthrough will bring news they have been waiting desperately to hear.
As the operation continues, every hour could determine whether more workers are brought out alive.
