Kathmandu, 21 September (H.S.): As many as 439 people remain unaccounted for at the under-construction 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Nepal, which was severely affected by the devastating floods that struck the country on August 26.

According to Nepal Water and Energy Development Company Pvt. Ltd., the project’s developer, 877 people have so far been safely rescued, while 78 people have made contact and the bodies of 39 people have been recovered.

According to the company, around 1,433 people, including Nepali, Korean, Chinese, Indian and nationals of other countries, were working at the project site when the floods struck. They included employees of the developer company, consultants Tractebel and Zed Consult Engineering, Korean contractor Doosan, its civil works subcontractor PowerChina, and Andritz Hydro, which was involved in the project’s electromechanical works, among other companies.

The company said search and rescue operations for Nepali and foreign nationals working at the site are continuing. The operation is being conducted in coordination and cooperation with various government agencies, security forces, technical experts, rescue teams and other concerned stakeholders. The company has mobilised all necessary resources for the search and rescue operation. It has also been reported that a truck overturned on the route leading from the project’s dam site towards the main tunnel as a result of the flooding.

At the flood-hit project, a joint search and rescue operation has been underway from the outset with the participation of the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police, Korean experts and the project team. Along with searching for people who may be trapped inside underground structures, search operations are also being conducted in surrounding areas, hills, villages and other possible locations in coordination with security agencies and the teams concerned.

To strengthen the search and rescue operation, teams of trained sniffer dogs, mountaineering rescue personnel and other skilled manpower have also been deployed. Given the possibility that people may be trapped inside the project’s tunnels, underground powerhouse and other physical structures, continuous efforts are being made to clear debris and mud, identify potential search areas and facilitate rescue operations.

According to the company, the joint teams continue to carry out search and rescue operations despite numerous challenges, including the extremely difficult geographical terrain, extensive destruction caused by the floods, difficulties in accessing the project site and transporting personnel and equipment, shortages of accommodation and other basic facilities, hazards within underground structures, and the risk of further landslides. The company said it has made all necessary resources available to the rescue teams.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar