Officials Certain Trapped Nepal Hydropower Workers Are Alive Despite Week-Long Crisis
Officials believe trapped workers are alive.
Rescue teams in Nepal are working urgently to reach 46 workers trapped inside an underground chamber at the Rasuwagadhi hydropower plant, following devastating flash floods that have killed more than 1,100 people across the country. A senior official from the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) said on Wednesday that authorities are “very confident they are alive,” citing structural integrity of the tunnel and communication attempts with those inside. The board member of NEA, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the workers were sealed in a section of the tunnel when floodwaters and debris surged through the site last week. He added that air pockets are believed to exist within the chamber and that intermittent tapping sounds have been heard, which responders interpret as signals from survivors.
The Rasuwagadhi project, located in the Himalayan district of Rasuwa, is one of several hydropower schemes hit by the extreme rainfall and landslides that triggered widespread flash flooding. The disaster has destroyed homes, washed away bridges, and cut off road access to many mountain communities, complicating search-and-rescue and relief operations. Authorities have deployed specialized rescue equipment and engineers to clear blocked access points and assess the stability of the tunnel before attempting entry. Officials cautioned that unstable slopes, ongoing rainfall, and the risk of secondary floods remain major obstacles, but emphasized that time is critical and operations are being run around the clock.
As the national death toll climbed past 1,100, the government has declared emergency measures in multiple districts and called for international assistance. The focus at Rasuwagadhi has become a symbol of the broader crisis, with families of the trapped workers gathering near the site and demanding regular updates as hopes hinge on the possibility that the 46 are still alive. The NEA official’s statement that the trapped workers “must be alive” has offered a measure of relief to relatives, even as the scale of the disaster underscores the vulnerability of infrastructure in Nepal’s steep, flood-prone terrain. Rescue chiefs say the next 24 to 48 hours will be decisive, with teams racing to establish safe access and bring the workers out before conditions deteriorate further.
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Nepal’s hydropower sector has expanded rapidly in recent years as the country seeks to harness its abundant river systems for electricity generation and export. However, many projects are situated in geologically fragile zones where monsoon rains can trigger landslides and flash floods with little warning. The Rasuwagadhi incident has renewed scrutiny over site selection, emergency protocols, and worker safety standards at construction camps in high-risk areas. Local officials in Rasuwa district said that access roads to the plant were severely damaged, forcing rescue crews to move equipment on foot and by helicopter in some stretches. Medical teams have been positioned near the tunnel entrance, and temporary shelters have been set up for families waiting for news. Authorities have also restricted media and visitor access close to the work zone to avoid hampering delicate stabilization efforts.
The broader flood disaster has overwhelmed Nepal’s emergency response capacity, with hospitals in Kathmandu and other cities reporting shortages of blood, medicines, and trauma care staff. International donors and neighboring countries have begun sending relief supplies, including tents, water-purification kits, and field hospitals. The government has warned that the final death toll could rise further as remote villages remain cut off and communication lines are restored slowly. For the families of the 46 trapped workers, every hour without confirmed contact heightens anxiety, yet the NEA’s repeated assurances have kept hope alive. “We are very confident they are alive,” the board member reiterated, adding that engineers are working to create a safe passage for extraction as soon as geotechnical assessments allow. The operation at Rasuwagadhi now stands as one of the most closely watched rescue efforts amid Nepal’s worst flood crisis in recent memory.
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