- Rescue teams recovered 13 bodies from the Upper Trishuli-1 tunnel in Rasuwa, weeks after devastating floods hit the hydropower project.
- Nepal reports 1,410 confirmed deaths and 6,145 people missing, with DNA samples being collected to identify recovered remains.
- Search operations involving international teams from India, China, and South Korea continue to clear mud and debris from multiple damaged tunnels.
- While reports suggest hundreds may be trapped inside the Upper Trishuli-1 tunnel, authorities have yet to verify the exact number of victims.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Rescue teams recovered 13 bodies from the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project tunnel in Rasuwa on Friday, nearly three weeks after the Bhotekoshi River floods swept through the area.
Six bodies were found first, trapped in the steel reinforcement mesh inside the project’s Audit-3 tunnel, the Nepali Army said. Seven more bodies were recovered later from the same section.
Rescuers used gas cutters and rotary tools to cut through the steel mesh and remove the bodies. They have taken the bodies out of the tunnel and are continuing to clear mud and debris in search of others.
The Aug. 26 floods caused heavy damage to hydropower projects in Rasuwa and nearby areas. Many workers and others were reported missing after the disaster.
1,410 people reported dead
The latest government update puts the death toll from the disaster at 1,410. The figures, compiled from information provided by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority and Nepal Police, also show 6,145 people still missing.
Rasuwa accounts for 2,679 of those missing, while 1,787 are from Nuwakot. The report also lists 587 foreign nationals as missing.
A total of 13,756 people have been rescued, according to the government.
The update lists 10,164 people under injured or treatment figures. Of them, 344 were treated in hospitals and 9,820 were treated by security agencies. The report also says 290 people were discharged from hospitals.
The 10,164 figure does not mean that many people are currently in hospitals, as it combines different treatment categories.
DNA samples collected to identify bodies
With thousands of people still missing, authorities are also working to identify unidentified remains.
The government has collected 3,230 DNA samples so far—1,286 from deceased people and 1,944 from their relatives.
Search teams have been checking rivers, piles of flood debris, damaged buildings and tunnels for people who remain unaccounted for.
Search continues at hydropower projects
The floods damaged several hydropower projects, including Upper Trishuli-1, Upper Trishuli-3A, Upper Trishuli-3B, Chilime, Rasuwagadhi, Langtang and Mailung Khola.
The Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force are involved in the search. Rescue teams from India, China and South Korea have also joined the tunnel operations, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Three people have so far been rescued alive from the affected tunnels. Two Nepalis were rescued from the Upper Trishuli-3A tunnel, while a Chinese national was rescued from Upper Trishuli-1.
Number trapped inside tunnel still unknown
Earlier reports said about 300 people might have been trapped inside the Upper Trishuli-1 tunnel. But the government has not confirmed that number.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said reports about the number of people missing inside the tunnels remain unverified.
Rescuers are therefore still working to determine how many people were inside the tunnels when the floods struck.
The recovery of 13 bodies from Upper Trishuli-1 has given search teams new evidence as they work through the mud and debris. The search for more victims is continuing.
