New Delhi: In a baffling and tragic turn of events following the devastating floods in Nepal, the rescue operation at Tunnel 3-A of the Trishuli Hydropower Project has concluded with 39 workers still missing without a trace. Despite extensive excavation and a thorough search by rescue teams, authorities are left puzzled about the whereabouts of the missing labourers.
According to the Armed Police Force (APF), a total of 42 workers were inside Tunnel 3-A when the flash floods struck. After nine days of relentless rescue efforts, the Nepal Army and specialized rescue teams managed to safely excavate and inspect the tunnel. However, the operation yielded only two survivors and one dead body, leaving 39 individuals completely unaccounted for.
Netra Bahadur Karki, the spokesperson for the Armed Police Force, confirmed the conclusion of the immediate rescue mission. “The rescue operation for Tunnel 3-A is officially over. So far, we have found two people alive and recovered one body. There were 42 people in this tunnel. We have no information on where the remaining 39 have gone,” Karki stated. He further added that the authorities are in constant touch with the construction company and are planning another detailed sweep to determine if the missing workers were washed away or fell into deep, flooded pits inside the tunnel.
The surviving workers have shared harrowing accounts of the tragedy. Sanjay Sah, a 30-year-old mechanical foreman from Saptari who was rescued alive, revealed that he was on duty in the tunnel’s control room when the flood alert was issued. Instead of fleeing immediately, Sah decided to stay back to warn and help others. Recounting his ordeal from a military hospital bed, he mentioned that around 25 people were trapped alongside him in those final moments. Sah survived the terrifying ordeal by finding refuge in air pockets and continuously chanting a ‘Mahamantra’ for strength.
Local media reports highlight that the scale of the disaster is unprecedented, with an estimated 900 workers feared trapped across various tunnel projects in Nepal due to the sudden flooding.
The mysterious disappearance of the 39 workers from a confined tunnel environment has left rescue agencies searching for answers. As families wait in agony, the authorities are gearing up for further investigations to unravel the fate of the missing labourers.