As per reports, search, rescue and recovery operations are continuing across flood-affected areas of Nepal on Thursday (03 September), with the primary focus remaining on workers believed to be trapped at damaged hydropower facilities. The following are the latest situational updates:
• At least 1,204 fatalities have been confirmed in Nepal, while more than 4,200 people remain unaccounted for. The figures remain subject to revision as authorities reconcile missing-person records and continue searching settlements, river corridors, debris fields and hydropower facilities.
• Operations are continuing to locate approximately 900 workers associated with affected hydropower projects. Authorities have reported that at least 639 people remain missing from project sites, while 279 have been rescued. The figures may overlap with the wider national missing-person count.
• The strongest prospects of finding survivors are currently at the Rasuwagadhi and Upper Trishuli-3A hydropower projects. Authorities believe that around 46 workers may be inside a room-like chamber at the Rasuwagadhi facility, where food and water may be available. Rescue personnel are attempting to relocate and access the chamber after an earlier tunnel search was unsuccessful.
• At the Upper Trishuli-3A project, personnel are attempting to break through debris obstructing a tunnel containing a potentially dry chamber. Pipes are being used to supply oxygen into the tunnel. Operations remain constrained by thick mud, collapsed sections, accumulated water and difficulties in identifying the original tunnel entrances.
• Specialist teams from Nepal, India, China, South Korea, the United States, Australia and Singapore are supporting tunnel searches, victim identification and technical operations. Equipment being deployed includes excavators, pumps, thermal drones, life-detection systems and DNA-testing resources.
• Around 95 percent of telecommunications services have been restored across the affected districts. Electricity supply has reportedly been restored to approximately 85 percent of Nuwakot, 98 percent of Dhading and 40 percent of Rasuwa. However, isolated settlements and project sites may continue to experience intermittent connectivity and power outages.
• The flooding damaged or destroyed at least 31 motorable bridges, 48 suspension bridges and more than 40 kilometres of roads. Temporary crossings and limited reopened road sections are supporting relief movement, although several communities remain dependent on helicopters, improvised crossings and extended diversion routes.
• The G216 National Highway on the Chinese side has reopened towards the Gyirong border area, allowing heavy machinery, search dogs and life-detection equipment to reach the disaster zone. However, the Rasuwagadhi-Gyirong border crossing remains non-operational for commercial and regular passenger movement.
• The immediate threat associated with two barrier lakes near the Nepal-China border has reduced after the accumulated water drained. Nevertheless, the affected terrain remains unstable, with continued risks of landslides, rockfalls and localised debris flows.
• Authorities are planning to install seismic sensors, cameras and a Very Small Aperture Terminal satellite-communication system at Timure. The proposed system is intended to restore monitoring capabilities and allow warnings to be transmitted if mobile networks fail during future landslides or flood events.
Categories: Natural Disasters - Floods
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