Nuwakot, September 3, 2026 — Search and rescue teams have cleared about three feet of the entrance to the cable duct tunnel at the Trishuli 3 ‘A’ Hydropower Project in Nuwakot, where people are feared to be trapped following the devastating Bhote Koshi River flood in Rasuwa.
A 93-member team led by the Nepal Army is carrying out the operation with support from a Chinese rescue team and other technical personnel. The rescuers are using five excavators, compressors and breakers to clear the blocked tunnel entrance.
The entrance is buried beneath collapsed iron structures, large boulders and debris extending about 40 meters in length and reaching around 20 meters in height.
After working continuously through the day and night, the rescue teams have managed to advance approximately 15 to 20 meters into the tunnel.
However, rescuers must first completely clear the entrance before excavators and other heavy machinery can be brought inside. Preparations are also underway to blast seven additional boulders that are obstructing the passage.
