Although it was suspected that some people were trapped inside the tunnel due to the recent devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River of Rasuwa, which affected the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, the rescue team led by the Nepali Army concluded that this was not the case. The team reached the last point of the tunnel during a detailed and meticulous investigation and searched using drones but did not find any human presence.
As this apprehension was raised, a special team of the army entered the tunnel with the help of engineers and drone experts to monitor potential risk areas. The rescue team said that even after reaching the innermost part of the tunnel and investigating with a drone, no one was found. After this technical confirmation, the search operation has been formally terminated, clarifying that there are no casualties inside the tunnel.
Earlier, there were widespread concerns that project staff and construction workers might be trapped inside the tunnel due to flooding. In this regard, according to the project data, 22 people from the dam site, 20 people from the Ghatekhola housing camp, 14 people from the powerhouse area and a total of 93 people have not yet been contacted. However, searches inside the tunnels have brought relief from human casualties. The Nepali Army team has successfully completed its mission and returned to Dhunche, the headquarter of Rasuwa.
