Trapped in tunnels after mudslide – oxygen pumped in

 

TT-AFP

 

Published 03.38Updated 10.08          

          

A bridge that previously crossed the Trishuli River in Dhading district. Photo: Niranjan Shrestha/AP/TT

More than 100 people are believed to be alive, trapped in waterworks tunnels along the Trishuli River between China and Nepal.

Five days have passed since the devastating mudslide and now special teams are working to get oxygen into the tunnels and save lives. But the complicated operation is being repeatedly hampered by the weather.

More than 900 waterworks workers are missing after Wednesday's mudslide in the Himalayas. Of these, around a hundred are believed to be alive and stuck in tunnels under mud and rubble for five days.

At one of the larger waterworks, Trishuli 3A, the military rescue team managed to drill a hole through the mud wall into the tunnel to get oxygen and a camera in on Saturday evening. Conditions in the disaster area are difficult. Even finding the entrances to the tunnels is difficult due to the mud and debris.

Special teams

The work has been paused in several places due to the risk of new floods and the operation at Trishuli 3A also had to be temporarily interrupted due to rain before it resumed on Sunday and oxygen was managed to be brought in through a narrow opening.

“As the water masses have receded, the team has resumed work to locate the tunnel opening using drills, excavators, hydraulic cutting tools and other equipment,” the Nepalese army wrote in a statement.

Special teams from China and India have been sent to Nepal to help. Nepalese experts in mountain rescue are also participating in the search for survivors.

750 confirmed dead

So far, 750 people have been confirmed dead after the disaster, which is believed to have started with an ice avalanche on a melting glacier. It was followed by a huge gray-brown flood of water and mud that flowed down the valleys at high speed.

More than 3,000 people are still missing.

The United States has announced that it will send $3.6 million, equivalent to just over 34 million kronor, in humanitarian aid to Nepal. The country had previously promised $500,000 in aid after the disaster that hit Nepal and Tibet.