World · India Bureau
Nepal suspends rescue operations at 10 flood-damaged hydropower projects
Nepali authorities have halted search and rescue efforts at most of the 13 hydroelectric facilities damaged by devastating floods, with 868 people still missing. Rescue operations continue at only three projects as the death toll mounts.
LSN India ·
Rescue teams in Nepal have suspended search operations at ten of thirteen hydroelectric projects devastated by recent catastrophic flooding, as hopes of finding survivors fade. The suspension of operations at the majority of affected sites marks a grim milestone in what has become one of the country's most destructive natural disasters in recent years.
Continued rescue efforts are now focused on just three hydropower installations: the Chilime, Upper Trishuli-1, and Upper Trishuli-3B projects. These three sites remain priority zones for search and recovery teams still attempting to locate survivors among the 868 people currently listed as missing across all affected facilities.
The decision to scale back operations at most sites reflects the challenging conditions faced by rescue workers and the declining probability of locating survivors as time elapses. The hydropower sector, which plays a crucial role in Nepal's economy and regional energy security, has suffered significant damage from the floods, raising concerns about the country's infrastructure resilience.
The disaster has highlighted vulnerabilities in construction safety protocols at major hydroelectric projects and prompted calls for enhanced disaster preparedness measures. Officials are expected to conduct comprehensive assessments of the remaining projects before determining when broader rescue and recovery operations can safely resume.