RASUWA: The bodies of 18 workers who went missing inside a tunnel following the devastating Bhotekoshi flood have been recovered from the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydroelectric Project in Rasuwa.
Ashok Thapa, chief deputy superintendent of police at the District Police Office, Rasuwa, said the bodies were recovered during ongoing search and rescue operations on Thursday.
According to Harka Tamang, social expert at the Upper Trishuli-1 project, the bodies were found inside the tunnel, around 100 metres from Audit-3. The site is located north of Mailung, approximately 5.5 kilometres along the project’s 9.8-kilometre-long tunnel.
The Nepali Army and employees of the hydropower company have been involved in the search and rescue operation, Tamang said.
Police chief Thapa said six workers’ bodies had been recovered from the area on Thursday, with additional bodies found as the search operation continued.
Police said the exact number of workers who were inside the tunnel when the flood struck has yet to be established. Identification and verification of the recovered bodies are also underway.
The search operation began after the flood damaged structures under construction at the project site and workers were reported trapped or missing inside the tunnel.
The 216-megawatt Upper Trishuli-1 is a major hydropower project under construction in Rasuwa.
The recovery of the bodies has deepened grief among the workers’ families and people associated with the project. Police said identification has been complicated by the construction company’s failure to maintain complete records of workers, including their names.
