NEW DELHI: Indian and Nepali rescue teams are pushing deeper into the flood-hit Chilime hydropower tunnel in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, draining accumulated water and preparing access for heavy equipment as efforts continue to reach sections blocked by debris.
The tunnel operation has become one of the specialised rescue efforts underway after the devastating August 26 flash floods.
Indian teams are also working at the Langtang hydropower project, while medical and forensic personnel have been deployed as part of New Delhi’s assistance to Nepal.
At Chilime, rescuers have established access inside the tunnel but still face waterlogged and obstructed stretches. Safety ropes have been fixed along the route. Pumps and improvised floats are being used to move through areas where water and debris have made conventional access difficult.
A temporary track is also being created to allow heavier equipment to reach the tunnel.
Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava said on Saturday that the operation had moved farther inside the structure a day earlier.
“The Indian tunnel rescue team working alongside with Nepali Army dug deeper into Chilime tunnel yesterday draining out water. A temporary track is also being made to allow more heavy equipment to reach tunnel; and doctors with the team held a health camp for the local community,” Srivastava said on X.
The work is aimed at clearing and securing affected sections before more equipment can be moved inside, and the search can be expanded.
The Chilime hydropower project near Syabrubesi village in Rasuwa was among the infrastructure sites hit when flash floods swept through parts of Nepal on August 26.
Indian tunnel specialists have also been deployed at the Chilime and Langtang hydropower project sites to clear debris and look for workers who may have been trapped.
The rescue effort comes as India raised the number of its nationals brought to safety after the floods to 169.
The Ministry of External Affairs said three more Indians were rescued from Trishuli Bazaar between Thursday and Friday. They were identified as Abhijit Suresh Pawar, Dipika Abhijit Pawar, and five-year-old Samarth Abhijit Pawar.
“Our Embassy in Nepal is assisting in their return to India by air,” the MEA said on X.
The ministry had earlier said 275 Indian nationals remained unaccounted for.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 1,907 Indians had crossed safely into Nepal from China. According to official information received from China, no Indian travellers were stranded in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
India has sent around 95 tonnes of relief material aboard seven aircraft, according to the MEA.
The supplies include medical and humanitarian materials such as antibiotics, analgesics, surgical items, tarpaulins, sleeping bags, blankets, and water purification tablets.
India has also deployed 54 personnel to assist Nepal. The contingent comprises 30 tunnel rescue experts, 19 forensic experts, and a five-member medical team.
The medical personnel are providing emergency assistance and have also conducted a health camp for the local community near the Chilime operation.
A 19-member DNA and forensic analysis team is assisting Nepalese authorities with victim identification as search and recovery operations continue.
Jaiswal said India would continue providing assistance according to requirements communicated by the Nepal government.
“We will continue to provide assistance as per the requirements of the Nepal government. In the coming days, we plan to send more forensic kits, Bailey bridges, and other materials that are requested by the Nepal government,” he said. - The Statesman/ANN
