Dozens of workers trapped in Nepal hydropower tunnels may still be alive after deadly flash floods

A week after a catastrophic Himalayan glacier collapse triggered deadly flash floods along the Nepal-China border, rescue teams are racing to reach dozens of trapped workers. While the disaster has claimed over 1,200 lives and left more than 4,200 missing, officials express high confidence that 46 workers trapped in an underground chamber at the Rasuwagadhi hydropower plant remain alive due to available food, water, and air.

Hydropower tunnel rescue operations

• ▪Rescuers have successfully saved 279 people from flooded hydropower projects in Nepal, but hundreds of other workers remain missing.
• ▪Rescuers pulled at least three bodies out of two Nepalese hydropower tunnels on August 31, 2026, but were subsequently blocked by heavy mud and sludge.
• ▪Specialized rescue teams from India, China, and the United States are working to reach dozens of workers trapped inside Nepalese hydropower tunnels following catastrophic flash floods.

Himalayan glacier collapse

• ▪A catastrophic flash flood was triggered on August 26, 2026, by the collapse of a glacier near Nepal's border with China.
• ▪The United Nations Development Programme estimated that the Himalayan glacial collapse created at least 2.2 million tonnes of debris, including rocks, sediment, and building parts.

Flash flooding devastation

• ▪The flash floods disrupted 431 megawatts of operating electricity generation capacity in Nepal and damaged another 15 power projects under construction.
• ▪The international charity Save the Children reported that children in Nepal's Nuwakot and Rasuwa areas are showing signs of severe psychological distress after witnessing the floods.

Death toll statistics

• ▪At least 21 people have been confirmed dead in Tibet, China, following the same trans-border glacial flood disaster.
• ▪At least 1,204 people have been confirmed dead in Nepal following the catastrophic flash floods triggered by the glacial collapse.

Missing persons count

• ▪China's official missing toll in Tibet stands at 541 people, which includes 104 Nepali citizens, 49 Indians, and 33 Latvians.
• ▪More than 4,200 people remain missing in Nepal a week after the devastating Himalayan flash floods.

Underground chamber survival prospects

• ▪Officials believe the Rasuwagadhi chamber contains stored food and water, and that oxygen is flowing through dry spaces in the Upper Trishuli 3A tunnel.
• ▪Nepal Electricity Authority official Amshu Kiran Shahi stated that 46 workers are believed to be alive inside an underground chamber at the Rasuwagadhi hydropower plant.

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