Fresh air detected for the first time in tunnels of Nepal’s hydropower facilities
Fresh air has been detected for the first time in tunnels at hydropower facilities in Nepal, where around 900 people may be trapped after flooding. This was reported by ABC News Australia, citing Australian tunnelling specialist Arnold Dix, who is taking part in the rescue operation at the Chilime hydropower facility in Rasuwa District.
Searches in blocked tunnels
According to Dix, rescuers found an area where people could have survived. He noted that until then, only water and mud had been found in the tunnels. Teams can hear a cavity and are calling out to those who may potentially have remained there.
On August 26, a glacier collapsed into a river on the border between Nepal and China. At least 11 hydropower facilities were affected by the disaster, and the entrances to their tunnels were blocked by debris and silt. According to ABC News Australia, at least 1,399 deaths have been confirmed in Nepal and Tibet, while more than 5,400 people are still missing. At least 900 of the missing people are believed to be in the tunnels of hydropower facilities.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Rescue operation continues
Dix previously said that people in such tunnels could survive for up to 17 days. In his assessment, some underground power stations likely withstood significant pressure during the flooding. At the same time, it is unknown whether emergency systems had time to activate and whether these facilities were flooded with water and debris.
Over the past few days, search teams have rescued four people. They include a Chinese citizen who was pulled from a tunnel on Saturday, as well as two workers from a hydropower facility rescued from another tunnel on Friday. Another person rescued was a Nepalese woman who was pulled from a buried house on Saturday. Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah said search and rescue efforts would not stop.
