Rescuers battle adverse weather in effort to reach workers trapped in hydroelectric tunnelspublished at 22:44 BST
22:44 BST
Image source, Nepalese governmentImage caption,
An image shared by the Nepalese energy minister earlier on Saturday in a post providing updates on the rescue mission at the Trishuli-3 ‘A’ hydropower site
Throughout Saturday, Nepalese energy minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha provided updates on rescue efforts at hydroelectric facilities in the flood-hit area.
At the Trishuli-3 ‘A’ hydropower site rescuers have managed to drill a hole into one of the facility’s cable tunnels.
He says an initial inspection reveals no debris inside, but no communication has been established with anyone inside.
The hope is that rescuers will be able to make a hole big enough for a person to enter, which may allow rescuers to access the site’s main tunnel.
In his most recent update, he says rescuers would try and work through the night, but that there is a risk their efforts could be impacted and even suspended “for some time as water flow is increasing due to continuous rain”.
Earlier in the day, he said rescue efforts were also continuing at another hydroelectic facility, Trishuli-3 ‘B’.
Specialist teams from China and India have joined Nepalese rescuers for search and rescue efforts linked to a number of hydroelectric sites in the area.