Kathmandu, Sept 16: The mortal remains of five persons were recovered from the Chilime hydropower project’s tunnel in Nepal on Wednesday after Indian and Nepali rescue teams reached the powerhouse following several days of clearing slush and mud, India’s Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava said.
The teams were unable to find any survivors, said the diplomat.
Flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal. The Bhotekoshi River, which flows south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.
“After several days of challenging hard work in clearing the slush and mud from the tunnel, the Indian and Nepali teams were able to reach the power house this morning. Unfortunately they were not able to find any survivors. Mortal remains of 5 persons were extricated,” Srivastava said in a post on X.
Authorities said the operation involved constructing a road on debris and through the river, clearing slush to gain access to the tunnel, tackling huge boulders and seepage water, and eventually carrying out deep diving.
The Indian Army and Nepali Army teams had to overcome the challenges while operating with helicopter support, they said.
Six workers had earlier been believed to be trapped inside the Chilime tunnel following the recent floods, with rescue teams working to reach the underground powerhouse. (PTI)
