Key facts
- Nepalese hydropower workers described a terrifying escape from a tunnel as flash floods surged.
- The floods, caused by a river bursting its banks, chased workers for approximately 20 minutes.
- Hundreds of laborers are among the thousands missing following the devastating floods.
- Rescue operations are ongoing at hydropower sites to find trapped workers.
- Experts suggest improved early warning systems could have mitigated some of the loss of life.
Nepalese hydropower workers recounted harrowing experiences of escaping a tunnel as deadly flash floods, caused by the Trishuli River, inundated the region. Pemba Dundu Tamang described a sudden blast of wind followed by a surge of water that chased him and his colleagues for approximately 20 minutes as they fled uphill. Tamang lost six family members, including his mother and brother, who were at home near the river when the disaster struck. His colleague, Itha Ghale, also lost eight family members. Hundreds of laborers working at hydropower sites, including the Upper Trishuli 3B Hydropower Project, are among the thousands missing. Nepal's death toll has surpassed 1,000. Rescue operations are ongoing, with soldiers and international specialists using heavy machinery to clear debris and search for survivors. Experts from the Asian Mountain Academic Alliance, the Stimson Centre, and China's Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment noted signs of increasing glacier instability prior to the event, suggesting that more robust early warning systems could have saved lives, particularly in areas downstream where the floodwaters took longer to arrive.