Rescue Operation from Hydropower Tunnel Following Floods and Landslides in Nepal
Following the disaster in the Rasuwa region, the Prime Minister's office issued a statement reporting that hundreds of stranded people were taken to safety.
Following catastrophic landslides and flash floods in Nepal's Rasuwa region, 350 people trapped in a mud-filled hydropower plant tunnel were rescued.
Trapped People Rescued from Tunnel
Footage shared by the Office of the Prime Minister of Nepal showed search and rescue teams bringing out citizens trapped in the mud-covered tunnel.
In a statement made by the office on social media, it was stated that 350 people were rescued from the tunnel and efforts to evacuate more than 100 people still inside are ongoing.
Evacuations and Missing Persons Information in the Region
Teams also relocated 533 more residents in flood-affected areas to safer zones.
According to data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority and the police, it was confirmed that at least 538 people lost their lives on the Nepali side.
Events on the Other Side of the Border
The disaster adversely affected not only Nepal but also neighboring China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
Chinese authorities reported that 5 people lost their lives and hundreds of people are missing on the Tibetan side of the border.
Possible Cause of the Disaster
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, this unusual disaster may have been caused by a giant ice avalanche that fell into the Lhende Khola River following an earthquake.