KATHMANDU: Families of employees who went missing after the devastating Bhotekoshi River flood in Rasuwa have raised serious questions over the search operation at the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, claiming that workers may still be trapped inside the powerhouse.
The families have alleged that the Nepal Army rescue team did not reach the powerhouse’s control room before returning from the site. They have also questioned the government’s claim that no one was found inside the tunnel.
The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers said on Monday that a drone search inside the project’s tunnel had failed to locate any people. The Nepal Army-led rescue team subsequently concluded the search and returned to Dhunche.
However, Madhav Lamichhane, father of project engineer Samir Lamichhane, said the rescue team had not reached the powerhouse. He said Samir was on duty when the flood struck and could be among the employees still inside the facility.
“It takes about 250 metres to reach the powerhouse, but the rescue team did not get there,” Madhav claimed. “There should be at least 14 to 15 employees there, including my son. The drone reportedly reached only around 240 metres.”
Madhav also claimed that discussions with project officials indicated that people could still be inside the powerhouse. He said food and other essential supplies are normally stored there for several days, raising the possibility that workers may have taken shelter inside.
Questions raised over search area
Hydropower engineer Umesh Dhital has also questioned the scope of the search operation, making public a map of the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project’s powerhouse.
Dhital said publicly available photographs and videos of the search did not clearly show the rescue team reaching the areas indicated on the powerhouse map. He argued that technical experts familiar with the project should assess and publicly explain the search findings.
The claims have raised questions over exactly how far the rescue team travelled inside the tunnel and which areas were covered by the drone search.
Army says no one was found
The Nepal Army had deployed a team, along with engineers and a drone unit, after concerns that people could be trapped near the final section of the hydropower project’s tunnel.
The army said its team searched the interior and the end point of the tunnel using a drone but found no signs of human presence. The team completed the search and returned to Dhunche on Monday.
However, claims by relatives and technical experts that the team did not reach the powerhouse control room have prompted calls for greater clarity over the extent of the search.
93 people remain unaccounted for
A total of 93 people working at the 111-MW Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project were reported missing following the devastating flood that originated in the Bhotekoshi River from the Chinese side.
Those missing include 49 employees and two wage workers of Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company, 35 construction workers from Sherpa Hydro Construction, four employees of CWE and three employees of Bhans Construction.
Six people had been trapped in the project’s underground desander following the flood. Four of them managed to get out after two days of efforts and were subsequently rescued safely by a Nepal Army helicopter.
The whereabouts of the remaining missing workers, however, remain unknown. Families have called for a fresh and comprehensive technical search of the powerhouse, tunnel and all other possible locations.
Government agencies are now expected to clarify how far the rescue team reached, the areas covered by the drone and whether the powerhouse control room was physically accessed during the search.
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