Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Nepal Tunnel Survivor Alleges Chinese Supervisor Fled During Flood
A sudden flood sent water, mud and rocks into a hydropower tunnel in Nepal.
About 265 people were reportedly working there.
Raj Chhetri says workers heard a frightening noise and asked a Chinese supervisor if they could leave.
He alleges the supervisor said he would check and then ran away.
Chhetri escaped with three other people, but says two members of their group are still missing.
He also says some workers may have been alive inside and calling for help.
At least 40 people are still unaccounted for at this hydropower project.
Around 900 workers are missing from several projects affected by the floods, with about 500 believed to be inside tunnels.
Nepalese, Indian and other rescue teams are searching, but the allegations about the supervisor have not been independently confirmed.
Raj Chhetri alleges a Chinese supervisor fled after workers sought permission to leave Tunnel No. 3.
About 265 people were reportedly working inside the Trishuli-3A tunnel when water, mud and debris surged through it.
At least 40 people remain unaccounted for at Trishuli-3A, while roughly 900 workers are missing across affected hydropower projects.
Chhetri says four workers escaped, two remain missing, and cries for help could be heard inside the tunnel.
Nepalese and international rescue teams are clearing debris, while a surveyor has criticized the pace and equipment used.
- Who
- Workers at Nepal’s Trishuli-3A Hydropower Station, including survivor Raj Chhetri, Chinese supervisory personnel, and Nepalese and international rescue teams.
- What
- A flash flood sent water, mud and debris into Tunnel No. 3; Chhetri alleges a Chinese supervisor fled after workers asked to leave.
- When
- Around August 26, during Nepal’s late-August flash floods; reports cited the situation as of September 2.
- Where
- Tunnel No. 3 at the Trishuli-3A Hydropower Station in Nepal.
- Why
- Floods and mudslides sent water and debris into hydropower tunnels; Chhetri also alleges workers were not properly warned about the danger.
Survivor and Rescue Criticism
Unconfirmed Allegations and Operational Response
Chinese supervisor’s actions
Survivor and Rescue Criticism
Raj Chhetri alleges that the supervisor said he would go and check after workers asked to leave, then fled as the flood entered the tunnel.
Unconfirmed Allegations and Operational Response
No response from the supervisor, Power China Corporation or Nepali investigators was publicly available as of September 2, and the allegation has not been independently established.
Warnings before the flood
Survivor and Rescue Criticism
Chhetri alleges Chinese authorities knew about the flood and landslide but failed to properly alert workers, saying earlier information could have saved lives and property.
Unconfirmed Allegations and Operational Response
The articles provide no independent confirmation of what authorities knew or when warnings may have been issued.
Speed of rescue operations
Survivor and Rescue Criticism
Surveyor Pranaya Magar says three or four excavators and a breaker machine could have accelerated access, and disputes claims that three excavators operated continuously, saying only one was running in the field.
Unconfirmed Allegations and Operational Response
Rescue teams and the Nepalese Army are working through unstable terrain, mud, rock, debris and collapsed or blocked sections, with assistance from Indian and other foreign specialists.
- Project
- Trishuli-3A Hydropower Station, Nepal
- Affected tunnel
- Tunnel No. 3
- Estimated workers inside
- About 265, according to Raj Chhetri
- Unaccounted at Trishuli-3A
- At least 40 people
- Missing across affected projects
- Around or more than 900 hydropower workers, depending on the report
- Believed inside tunnels
- About 500 workers
- Rescue operation
- The Nepalese Army, an Indian rescue team, foreign experts and volunteers are clearing mud, rock and debris and trying to reach blocked sections
Sources
‘I’ll go and see’: Nepal worker alleges Chinese supervisor abandoned workers during flash flood
Nepal Flash Flood: Chinese Supervisor 'Fled' Hydropower Tunnel, Leaving Workers Trapped, Survivor Alleges
