On August 26, a catastrophic landslide occurred near the Nepal-China (Tibet) border, unleashing a massive surge of water, mud, and rocks through the valley. Official reports indicate that at least 1,287 individuals have died as a result of this disaster, with thousands still unaccounted for. The event was triggered by a glacial and mountain collapse, highlighting the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
We have not lost hope. Then, on Friday, came a breakthrough. When teams encounter a problem at a damaged plant, they post questions in the group and someone with knowledge of the facility tries to provide an answer. The importance of the group became clear last week when rescuers were searching the buried Chilime hydropower plant near the Chinese border. A government official posted a simple request: “Can you send me Chilime layout drawings. Within minutes, a member shared drawings of the powerhouse along with details of the access tunnels. Such information can make a crucial difference when familiar routes have been buried or altered by floodwater and debris. Engineers are providing maps showing where tunnels lead, where chambers are located and how different sections of the plants are connected. Former employees are also helping from their own experience. Having worked inside the facilities, they can offer rescuers details that may not be available from damaged or buried plans. The group is also being used to trace missing workers. Members share names and mobile numbers with officials, who can then pass the information to telecom authorities. Last recorded mobile phone locations could help establish where workers were when the disaster struck. “This is not a normal closure of tunnels. The search has become particularly urgent at Chilime and Rasuwagadhi hydropower plants. The operation, however, has continued. At Upper Trishuli 3A, rescuers spent nearly six days trying to reach a buried tunnel. Oxygen was pumped into possible cavities in the hope that workers might still be alive. Two workers were pulled out alive after spending nine days inside the tunnel. “As long as there is breath, there is hope! “Rescue operations are continuing in all the affected tunnels. Let everyone’s efforts and prayers continue. The rescue of Sah and Maharjan brought a rare moment of relief amid the devastation.
Nepal’s Independent Power Producers’ Association said at least eight people could be trapped at Chilime, while a Nepal Electricity Authority official estimated that as many as 46 workers could be trapped at Rasuwagadhi further south. At Rasuwagadhi, rescuers managed to get about 250 metres into one tunnel before their path was blocked. He said the 46 workers could be trapped inside a chamber where food and water may still be available. They were identified as 30-year-old mechanical foreman Sanjay Sah and 45-year-old mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan.
The engineers’ group has become a real-time support network for rescuers, according to a Reuters report. “The flood has altered the terrain around the tunnels and changed their structure, while mud, rocks, soil and other debris had accumulated inside,” Nepal Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet told Reuters. “We are trying to reach there inside again to look for people,” Nepal Electricity Authority board member Amshu Kiran Shahi said. Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said in a statement. The Nepali Army called the operation a “miraculous victory of hope”. Amir Maharjan, the brother of rescued worker Kabir Maharjan, said he was overwhelmed by the news.
The rescue efforts have also highlighted the courage of workers who stayed behind to help others escape. “I was in the control room, so my responsibility was to save everyone’s lives. With families going days without news of their loved ones, some have already begun holding symbolic funerals. Yet inside the damaged tunnels, rescuers are still searching. And after two workers emerged alive nine days after the disaster, the message from those involved remains simple: as long as there is a chance someone is alive, the search must go on.
The disaster began on August 26 when a massive glacial and rock collapse on a mountain near the China-Nepal border sent a surge of water, ice, mud and debris down the Trishuli valley. Nepal’s disaster authority said 1,259 bodies had been recovered and 5,083 people remained missing. China reported 21 deaths and 541 people missing in Tibet, taking the combined toll to 1,287 dead and 5,624 missing. More than 800 foreigners from at least 34 countries are among those missing across Nepal and Tibet.
Lakshmi Naini, who said Maharjan was her brother-in-law, had been waiting outside a hospital in Kathmandu when she learnt that he had survived. A mechanical foreman said he remained in a control room after hearing about the disaster and told his colleagues to flee. When there was such a big accident, it was not right for me to run away,” he said, according to Reuters. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal described the wave as a “Himalayan tsunami”.
