Six bodies were discovered on Friday within a tunnel at a hydropower project in Nepal, as efforts continued to locate individuals missing after the catastrophic flash floods experienced last month. The floods have claimed the lives of over 1,400 people and left more than 6,100 individuals unaccounted for.

The bodies were retrieved from the Upper Trishuli-1 project located in the Nuwakot district, where rescue teams are diligently searching additional affected areas. Rescue operations are being conducted by a joint team of security personnel from the Nepal Army. These teams recovered the bodies from the Audit-3 tunnel at the hydropower project site.

Reports indicate the victims were ensnared in steel reinforcement mesh that had been positioned for concrete work within the tunnel. According to statements from the Nepal Army Headquarters, the rescue team utilised grinders, gas cutters, and rotary rescue tools to extract the bodies. This tragic discovery amplifies the ongoing challenges faced in the aftermath of the disasters that struck the region.

Impact of the Bhotekoshi Flash Floods

The Bhotekoshi flash floods were reportedly triggered by an ice-rock avalanche that occurred near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26. These floods resulted in extensive damage, particularly affecting towns and villages in northern and central Nepal, leading to at least 1,410 confirmed fatalities and 6,145 individuals still reported missing as of Thursday.

Rescue and search teams have, to date, assisted more than 13,756 persons from various impacted areas. At Upper Trishuli-1, search operations continue, as rescuers believe that additional bodies may still be concealed beneath the mud within the tunnel. In the previous days, a combined team that included foreign technicians had conducted a search approximately 400 metres into the main access tunnel of the project to locate missing workers.

The recovery operations have also extended to several other hydropower projects such as Rasuwagadhi, Rasuwa Bhotekoshi, Langtang, Trishuli-3A, and Upper Trishuli-3B. In a related development, five bodies were uncovered at the Chilime hydropower project on Wednesday, as both Indian and Nepali rescue teams managed to navigate slush and mud to access the subterranean powerhouse. Unfortunately, no survivors were reported during this operation, emphasising the grim reality faced by those involved in the disasters.

Restoration of Transportation Links

In a positive turn of events, the Tribhuvan and Kanti highways, which serve as the primary routes connecting Hetauda to Kathmandu, resumed regular two-way vehicular traffic as of Friday. This update was provided by Santosh Subedi, an administrative officer at the District Administration Office in Makawanpur.

The restoration of these routes follows the reopening of traffic at the Krishnabhir section of the Prithvi Highway in Dhading district, which had been obstructed after damage from the floods that occurred on August 26. The Tribhuvan Highway connects Hetauda to Kathmandu via Palung-Naubise, whereas the Kanti Highway facilitates traffic between the two cities via Tikabhairav-Lalitpur.

Since September 1, larger vehicles and goods carriers had been rerouted to the Tribhuvan Highway to access Kathmandu, with the Kanti Highway accommodating return journeys in order to ensure smoother traffic flows after the disruption of the Prithvi Highway. With the operational status of the Krishnabhir section now confirmed, both highways have been reopened to standard two-way traffic once more.

The recovery of bodies from Upper Trishuli-1 highlights the continuing repercussions of the flash floods on the region, as rescue teams persist in their searches through tunnels and project sites for the missing, even as crucial transport links in the affected areas are successfully restored.

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