Nepal floods trap 93 workers in a tunnel. Thermal drone search draws a blank
The Nepal Army-led rescue team entered the tunnel amid fears that workers might have been trapped inside after the Bhotekoshi River flooded the Rasuwa region.
At least 93 people have been reported missing from the project.
Kathmandu,Aug 31, 2026 23:59 IST
Last UpdatedAug 31, 2026 23:59 IST 
Published byEdited byAprameya Rao
Last UpdatedAug 31, 2026 23:59 IST Published byAprameya Rao
Aug 31, 2026 19:37 ISTEdited byAprameya RaoA thermal-drone video shared by a Nepalese mountaineer has gone viral, showing a search inside the flood-hit Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project tunnel.
Manish Maharjan, a member of the rescue team, used his drone to scan the tunnel after 93 people were reported missing from the project. The search reached the tunnel’s far end but found no survivors or bodies.
The Nepal Army-led team entered the tunnel amid fears that workers might have been trapped inside after the Bhotekoshi River flooded the Rasuwa region.
Sharing an update on Instagram, Maharjan said the team found no signs of bodies inside. He feared that anyone who had attempted to flee deeper into the tunnel could have been buried under debris.
“It was not a slow flood but a high-intensity one. There was no time to run,” he said.
Nepal Army personnel, engineers and drone operators conducted an extensive search before concluding that no one was inside the accessible portion of the tunnel.
The operation was subsequently called off, and the team returned to Dhunche in Rasuwa district.
SEARCH CONTINUES ACROSS OTHER TUNNELS
The Rasuwagadhi operation was part of a wider effort to trace 933 workers reported missing from 11 flood-hit hydropower projects in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.
Many are feared trapped inside tunnels blocked by mud, water and debris.
Nepal’s rescue teams, assisted by specialists from India and China, are using controlled blasts, excavators and searchlights to clear access routes. Three bodies have been recovered from two tunnels, while several other sections remain buried under mud.
Rescue efforts are focused on five hydropower projects, including the Upper Trishuli complex, where authorities said around 350 people could be trapped inside a tunnel.
Around 10,000 Nepali troops have been deployed alongside specialist teams from India and China.
The operations follow the August 26 flash flood, blamed on a glacial collapse, which has killed more than 900 people and left nearly 5,000 missing.
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