Rescuers battle flood debris, mud at Nepal hydropower tunnel as victims' families say 'we still have hope'
Families of missing workers are pressing authorities to accelerate rescue efforts as teams struggle to remove mud and debris blocking tunnels.
The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 1,003, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). As rescue teams continue searching for missing workers, families are recounting the horror of the 26 August disaster and urging authorities to speed up operations.
Among those waiting for answers is 20-year-old Anush Gurung, who has been searching for his 60-year-old father, Laxman, since the floods struck the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project in Rasuwa district. Anush last spoke to his father at around 8 am on 26 August. Soon after, the flash floods swept through the area and Laxman disappeared.
The family has received conflicting accounts from Laxman's surviving colleagues about whether he was inside a tunnel when the floods hit, The Kathmandu Post reported on Tuesday. "Whom are we supposed to believe? If the tunnel is searched, we would know for certain," Anush told the newspaper. "Now our only hope is inside the tunnel."
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Families push for faster searches
Families of missing workers are pressing authorities to accelerate rescue efforts as teams struggle to remove mud and debris blocking tunnels.
At the Upper Trishuli-3B project in Nuwakot, Bivek Pandey is searching for his 58-year-old father, Kamal Bahadur Pandey. He is among at least 122 people unaccounted for from the project, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Relatives gathered at an Army rescue and relief centre in Bidur and urged authorities to intensify the search. After several days of pressure, an excavator was brought to the site on Monday.
