Engineers on WhatsApp help search for those missing after floods in Nepal
In Nepal, engineers in a WhatsApp group are sending rescuers blueprints and data on hydroelectric power plant tunnels in the Trishuli Valley, where people are being searched for after massive flooding. According to Reuters reporting published by Daily Maverick, the group was created before the disaster and was expanded during the rescue operation by bringing in additional specialists. It now has more than 500 participants.
The August 26 flood, caused by a glacier collapse, brought water, mud and stones into the valley. More than 1,200 people were killed in the disaster, while more than 4,000 are still considered missing. Among them are approximately 900 people who disappeared at six hydropower facilities, at least three of which were under construction.
Searches in blocked tunnels
Authorities hope that some of the missing may have survived because they were working in tunnels or fled there during the flood. The flow left about 2.2 million tonnes of mud and debris in the valley, making it difficult even to locate the entrances to some tunnels. According to Nepal Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet, the flood changed the terrain near the tunnels and their structure, while soil, stones and other debris accumulated inside.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
During the search at the 22 MW Chilime hydropower plant, an official requested the facility's blueprints in the chat. Within minutes, one of the participants sent drawings of the powerhouse and information about access tunnels. No survivors have yet been found in the Chilime tunnels or at other hydropower facilities in the valley. The Independent Power Producers' Association of Nepal said that at least eight people may have remained at the plant.
Data from former employees
At the Rasuwagadhi hydropower plant, rescuers travelled 250 metres through one tunnel before finding a blockage. Amshu Kiran Shahi, a board member of the Nepal Electricity Authority, said that 46 people could have ended up in one of the chambers and may have access to water and food. The search there is ongoing.
At the Upper Trishuli 3A facility, rescuers spent nearly six days reaching the entrance to a tunnel that had been buried. They then tried to pump oxygen through pipes into possible voids in case anyone was there. Members of the WhatsApp group also provided the names and phone numbers of missing workers so that officials could contact telecommunications services to establish their last recorded locations. The flood destroyed about 10% of Nepal's generating capacity.
