Nepal steps up rescue effort to reach hundreds trapped in tunnels

Nepal's military airlifted heavy machinery by helicopter on Sunday to an under-construction dam high in the Himalayas as rescuers battled rising waters to ‌reach workers in a tunnel, four days after catastrophic floods trapped them inside.

The torrent of ice, rock and debris that swept down a mountain valley on the China-Nepal border on Wednesday killed more than 780 people, left more than 3,000 missing, knocked out about 10% of Nepal's power generation capacity and inundated several hydropower ‌projects under construction. Rescue operations are underway at five hydroelectric projects, including a major effort at the Upper Trishuli complex, where authorities said on Friday they ‌received information that around 350 people could be trapped inside a tunnel.

About 10,000 Nepali troops have been deployed for tunnel rescue operations alongside specialists from China and India, said Dharam Raj Uprety, chief of Nepal's national disaster management authority. "It's very tough because there's a lot of debris and we cannot blast things to make our way through," he said.

A team of rescuers and ⁠soldiers worked ​through the night at Upper Trishuli, Nepali ⁠Prime Minister Balen Shah's office said on Sunday, posting video on social media showing a helicopter carrying heavy machinery to the area. "Rescue efforts continued despite the severe flooding last night," it said.

The ⁠Upper Trishuli Hydropower 3A and 3B are interconnected hydropower plants on the Trishuli river, spanning Nepal's Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts, which were both hit hard by the floods. TEAMS REACH ​TUNNEL ENTRANCE

China and India have each airlifted specialised tunnel rescue teams that are assisting Nepali authorities at the hydropower projects, according to their foreign ⁠ministries. Rescuers reached the entrance of one tunnel on Sunday and began clearing debris blocking access, officials said, marking the first breakthrough in the effort to reach those feared trapped inside.

Once entry is secured, ⁠teams ​carrying oxygen supplies and cameras will move inside to assess conditions, search for survivors and provide the first images from within the tunnel, officials said. The Nepali army released a photograph showing two men caked in mud after being pulled from the mouth of one of the tunnels.

An estimated 35 ⁠to 40 people could be trapped inside Tunnel 3A, where rescue personnel have widened the face of the passage after locating it on Sunday, said Nishesh ⁠Shrestha, aide to Nepali lawmaker Sagar Dhakal, ⁠who is at the site. "This figure is based on information gathered from people in nearby villages and has not been independently confirmed," Shrestha told Reuters.

Officials estimate the main working area lies about 180 metres inside the tunnel. Reaching ‌it could provide the ‌first clear indication of the condition and location of any workers trapped underground. (Writing by ​Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Ros Russell)