A man has been rescued from inside the tunnels of a damaged hydropower plant in Nepal, where rescuers have also detected voices, raising hopes that more workers may still be alive nine days after devastating flash floods and landslides swept through the Himalayan region.
Local officials told CNN that the survivor was pulled from the tunnel as emergency teams continued searching for workers believed to be trapped inside several hydropower projects affected by the disaster.
The floods and landslides struck with deadly force, damaging infrastructure and cutting off access to remote mountain communities. Hydropower facilities were particularly vulnerable because many are built in steep valleys and along rivers, areas exposed to sudden surges of water, landslides and debris.
Nepal has expanded its hydropower industry significantly in recent decades, with electricity generation becoming an important part of its development strategy. The Himalayan nation has some of the world’s greatest hydropower potential because of its mountainous terrain and extensive river systems. However, its hydropower infrastructure has also faced recurring risks from earthquakes, floods, landslides and other natural hazards.
The latest disaster comes as Nepal continues to strengthen infrastructure and disaster-response systems after years of severe weather events and major earthquakes, including the devastating 2015 earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people and caused widespread destruction.
Authorities have not provided a final figure for the number of people still missing. Rescue teams are continuing to clear debris, search damaged tunnels and assess the condition of hydropower facilities as efforts to locate survivors enter a critical phase.
