Rescue teams search for 30 missing Nepal tunnel workers

Rescue teams in Nepal are racing against time to locate and free dozens of workers still trapped in flooded hydropower tunnels following days of relentless monsoon rains. At least 30 laborers remain missing after flash floods swept through tunnels near the Bhotekoshi and Sunkoshi rivers in Sindhupalchowk district over the weekend, submerging entire sections of the under-construction projects. Officials say some tunnels have air pockets, raising cautious hope that trapped workers may still be alive, but worsening weather and ongoing landslides are severely hampering access.

The crisis stems from unusually intense monsoon rainfall that has swollen rivers and triggered deadly landslides across Nepal in recent weeks. The tunnels, part of the 22.1-megawatt Sunkoshi Small Hydropower Project and nearby Bhotekoshi plant, were already at risk due to fragile Himalayan geology and inadequate drainage systems. Workers had been drilling and reinforcing the tunnels when the floods hit, trapping them underground without immediate escape routes. Local officials reported that the area has seen rainfall 40% above average this season, destabilizing slopes and increasing the risk of further collapses.

Rescuers are using drones, thermal imaging, and heavy machinery to locate survivors, but communication with the trapped workers remains nearly impossible. So far, only a handful of bodies have been recovered, and families have gathered outside hospitals in Chautara, desperate for news. Nepal’s army and police, supported by Indian and Chinese rescue teams, are working in shifts despite the danger. Engineers warn that pumping out water too quickly could cause further tunnel collapses, complicating the rescue.

What happens next depends on the weather. Forecasters predict more rain through Thursday, which could flood rescue shafts and cut off access entirely. Authorities have warned nearby villages of possible secondary landslides as the saturated ground gives way. For the families, time is running out—both for those missing and for the stability of the tunnels themselves. The disaster highlights the dangers of hydropower expansion in fragile mountain regions and raises urgent questions about worker safety and infrastructure resilience in the face of climate change.