Pokhara, 6 September | Search operations inside the tunnel of the Langtang Khola Hydropower Project have been concluded after rescue teams found no additional missing persons apart from two bodies recovered from inside the structure. A joint team of the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force suspended the tunnel search after completing the operation.
According to details provided by the Independent Power Producers’ Association of Nepal (IPPAN), 39 people connected to the 20-megawatt hydropower project remain out of contact following the devastating Bhotekoshi flood. Meanwhile, 19 people who were working at the project site were successfully rescued.
The project had completed construction and was undergoing trial operations when the disaster occurred. It was promoted by Multi Energy Development Pvt. Ltd. Project Manager Bijay Mohan Bhattarai said the search operation inside the tunnel was suspended after Saturday because rescue teams found no further evidence of missing people inside.
Rescuers entered the tunnel after cutting through the project’s penstock pipe and conducted a detailed search. During the operation, two bodies were recovered, but no other individuals were found. Based on the findings, the rescue team concluded that further searching inside the tunnel was not necessary.
The identities of the two deceased individuals have not yet been established because both bodies were found in severely damaged condition. IPPAN said DNA testing will now be carried out to identify the victims before their bodies are handed over to their respective families.
Authorities believe that the 39 people who remain unaccounted for may have been swept away by the powerful floodwaters. Although the search inside the tunnel has now ended, uncertainty remains over the fate of those still missing. The devastating Bhotekoshi flood has caused serious human and infrastructure losses, particularly affecting hydropower facilities and workers in the disaster-hit area.
