KATHMANDU | Nepal continued a desperate search for hundreds of people missing after catastrophic floods and mudslides killed more than 1,300 people across Nepal and Tibet, with rescuers focusing on hydropower projects where about 900 workers remain unaccounted for and at least 121 are believed to be trapped inside tunnels, officials said.
The search continued as Nepal observed a national day of mourning on Monday, the 13th day since the disaster. Government offices lowered national flags to half-staff, while families completed traditional Hindu mourning rituals for relatives who died or remain missing. The Associated Press reported that some families whose loved ones have not been found held symbolic funerals in the absence of recovered bodies.
The floods began on August 26 after a massive collapse of ice, rock and mud along the Nepal-China border sent torrents into river systems, destroying communities, roads, bridges and power infrastructure. Reuters reported that at least 1,380 people had been killed and more than 5,500 remained missing in Nepal and Tibet.
The hydropower sector has become a major focus of the rescue operation. Reuters reported that 121 of the roughly 900 missing workers could be inside tunnels at several projects. At the Chilime hydropower project in Rasuwa district, four of six missing workers could still be alive, according to lawmaker Shri Ram Neupane, who is involved in rescue operations. Rescuers believe some tunnels contain air pockets and rooms that could provide survivors with enough space and breathable air to remain alive.
Recent rescues have given families reason to keep hoping. Four people have been pulled alive from the disaster zone in recent days, including two hydropower workers rescued from a tunnel and a Chinese national who was found alive inside another tunnel. The successful rescues have prompted teams to continue searching even in heavily damaged and difficult-to-access facilities.
Specialized rescue teams from India, China, South Korea and the United States are assisting operations at hydropower sites, according to AP. Families of missing workers have also gathered in Kathmandu to press the government to accelerate the search, with some relatives criticizing what they consider delays in reaching buried facilities.
The disaster has also devastated a historically important cross-border corridor. The Gyirong border crossing between Nepal and Tibet, a major trade and pilgrimage route, was overwhelmed by mud and debris. The route became particularly important after the 2015 earthquake disrupted other connections between Nepal and Tibet, and it has served travelers heading toward Mount Kailash, one of Asia’s most important pilgrimage destinations. Reuters reported that many missing people in Tibet were Indian or of Indian origin who had been visiting the region for pilgrimage.
The scale of the destruction has prompted a broader international humanitarian response. The United Nations and humanitarian partners launched a $49.6 million emergency appeal to assist more than 84,000 people affected by the floods and landslides, with priorities including shelter, clean water, health services and protection against disease outbreaks as winter approaches in the Himalayan communities.
Nepal has also requested specialized international equipment, including high-capacity drones, Bailey bridges, DNA testing kits, tunnel-rescue suits and supplies for epidemic prevention, as search teams continue working through unstable terrain and massive deposits of mud and debris.
For families still waiting for news, however, the rescue effort remains a race against time. The discovery of survivors more than a week after the disaster has kept hopes alive even as Nepal mourns its dead and confronts one of the country’s most devastating flood disasters in recent years.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
