Rescue efforts for workers trapped in tunnels after Nepal floods slow on day 7

Efforts to reach workers trapped in multiple hydroelectric plant tunnels following a flash flood in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot regions a week ago are still yielding no results. Rescue teams are struggling with difficult terrain, dense mud, and debris. The delayed arrival of heavy machinery has slowed the operation.

At the Trishuli 3B plant, 198 workers remain out of contact, while technical personnel at the Chilime and Langtang plants also await rescue. Nepali and Indian Army teams have entered the tunnels, but mud and large boulders are blocking progress. Only a symbolic amount of mud has been cleared so far.

Families and project officials, stressing that the first 72 hours were critical, are demanding a simultaneous operation with 200-300 personnel and multiple excavators. They say government efforts have been insufficient and a more comprehensive operation is urgently needed.