Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Nepal Flood Rescue Searches for Workers in Damaged Tunnel
Heavy rain caused flash floods in parts of Nepal.
The Bhotekoshi River flooded areas near the Chilime hydropower tunnel.
Floodwater entered and damaged the tunnel, where an unknown number of workers may be trapped.
Rescue teams arrived by helicopter and began entering the tunnel around 7 AM on Tuesday.
A local resident said 25 to 30 people might have been inside, but officials have not confirmed that number.
The army is also evacuating people in Bidur, in Nuwakot district.
Shops and other places near the Trishuli River were damaged.
Thousands of people are missing, while many others have been rescued and some bodies are being identified at hospitals.
Rescue teams entered the damaged Chilime hydropower tunnel near Syabrubesi to search for trapped workers.
Flash floods caused by heavy rains and the Bhotekoshi River severely affected Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.
Officials said the number of workers inside the tunnel remains unknown; a resident estimated 25 to 30 may have been there.
Nepal’s disaster authority reported 3,925 people missing, including 592 foreign nationals, and 11,379 people rescued.
The Ministry of External Affairs said 158 Indian citizens had been safely evacuated from Nepal.
- Who
- Rescue teams, Nepal Police, the army, local residents, and workers at the Chilime hydropower facility are involved; Nepal’s disaster authority reported thousands missing and rescued.
- What
- A flood rescue operation is searching for workers who may be trapped in a damaged hydropower tunnel, while wider evacuations and recovery efforts continue.
- When
- Tunnel rescue operations began at around 7 AM on Tuesday; the Ministry of External Affairs reported the evacuation of Indian citizens on Monday.
- Where
- The main operation is at the Chilime hydropower tunnel near Syabrubesi in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, with additional operations in Bidur and other affected areas.
- Why
- Heavy rains and flash floods linked to the Bhotekoshi River damaged the tunnel, flooded surrounding areas, blocked routes, and possibly trapped workers.
- Main rescue site
- Chilime hydropower tunnel near Syabrubesi village, Rasuwa district
- Estimated people in tunnel
- A local resident said 25 to 30 people may have been inside; officials had not confirmed the number.
- People missing
- 3,925 people, including 592 foreign nationals, according to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Authority.
- People rescued
- 11,379 people have been rescued, according to the disaster authority.
- Indian citizens evacuated
- 158 Indian citizens had been safely evacuated from Nepal, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
- Bodies recovered
- The disaster authority reported recoveries including 279 bodies from Chitwan and 23 from Rasuwa, among other districts.
- Unidentified bodies
- Unidentified bodies are being stored at 21 hospitals nationwide while authorities conduct identification procedures.
