Days after catastrophic flash floods swept through cross-border regions between Nepal and Tibet, rescue operations are still underway at a collapsed tunnel in Nepal, where search and rescue teams refuse to abandon hope of finding survivors trapped inside.
The devastating natural disaster, which triggered landslides and washed out critical infrastructure across the Himalayan border area, left dozens of people missing after the floodwaters inundated road construction sites and rural settlements, including the tunnel that was under expansion when the disaster hit. According to initial on-site reports, a number of workers were trapped inside when the tunnel’s entrance collapsed under the force of the surging flood and subsequent debris flow.
Azadeh Moshiri, a seasoned South Asian correspondent for international media, has been reporting live from the disaster zone, providing on-the-ground updates on the pace and challenges of the rescue mission. Rescuers from Nepal’s national armed police force, alongside specialized mountain search teams, have been working around the clock to clear tons of rock and mud blocking the tunnel’s access point, hampered by unstable terrain and ongoing risks of secondary landslides in the flood-ravaged area.
Even as the window for finding living survivors narrows in the days after the disaster, first responders and official spokespeople have confirmed that operations will continue as long as there is a possibility of locating people alive. Local authorities have also mobilized additional heavy machinery and emergency supplies to the site to support the sustained search effort, as the international community watches closely for updates on the high-stakes rescue operation.