Story perspectives

639 Still Missing as Nepal Flood Rescue Continues

9/3/2026

Summary

Story summary

Rescue teams are digging to free workers trapped in flooded hydropower tunnels.
Authorities say 279 workers have been rescued from the damaged projects.
639 people remain missing from tunnels at 11 hydropower sites in Rasuwa and Nuwakot.
China, India and South Korea have deployed tunnel-rescue specialists to assist Nepal’s army.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah says the flood highlights rising climate-change risks in the Himalayas.

History

Historical Context

The 1963 Vajont Dam disaster in Italy, triggered by a massive landslide, released an estimated 260 million cubic meters of water, killing over 2,000 people. State-owned ENEL, which operated the dam, faced a €1 billion reconstruction bill and the Italian government dispatched 3,000 rescue workers. Similarly, Nepal’s 2024 Rasuwa and Nuwakot hydropower tunnel floods have trapped 639 workers, prompting rescue teams from China, India, and South Korea to assist Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s climate-change warning. The Vajont tragedy spurred stricter dam safety regulations across Europe, illustrating how historic infrastructure failures drive present-day demands for resilient Himalayan hydropower designs.

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Story summary

Rescue teams are digging to free workers trapped in flooded hydropower tunnels.
Authorities say 279 workers have been rescued from the damaged projects.
639 people remain missing from tunnels at 11 hydropower sites in Rasuwa and Nuwakot.
China, India and South Korea have deployed tunnel-rescue specialists to assist Nepal’s army.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah says the flood highlights rising climate-change risks in the Himalayas.

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