Les inondations au Népal piégent 93 travailleurs dans un tunnel.

Eight workers from Assam, stranded by catastrophic flash floods in Nepal on August 26, safely returned home late Sunday after being rescued from the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project site. Their arrival brought relief to their families, though eight colleagues remain unaccounted for following the disaster. The survivors described harrowing conditions during the two-day ordeal, surviving on a hilltop without food or clean water until Nepalese military helicopters located them. Pankaj Barman, one of the rescued workers, recounted the moment the flood struck. “The sound was massive,” he said. “We thought something big had happened and just started running.” The group was working in the mountainous region of Nepal when a surge of mud and water swept through the area, destroying nearby towns. Gautam Das, another survivor from Hojai district, described how close he came to the deadly floodwaters. “I saw death from close and I was lucky to survive,” he said. The rescued workers included Pankaj Barman, Gautam Das, Gopal Chand Debnath, Samar Bezbaruah, Sarvishan Marak, Saneswar Narzary, Silva Marak, and Elipson Sangma. They confirmed that five additional workers from Assam, originally from Nagaon, Nalbari, and Karbi Anglong districts, were also employed at the project but have remained missing since the floods hit. A total of 13 Assam residents were reportedly working at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project prior to the disaster. Following the floods, the Assam government established emergency helplines for residents stranded or missing in Nepal. These lines were contacted by the eight returning workers, although no direct communication has been established with the missing individuals. Families of eight other Assamese workers also reached out via the helpline, adding to the concern over their safety. Meanwhile, rescue efforts continue in the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, where 93 workers are believed to be missing. Manish Maharjan, a member of the rescue team, shared a thermal-drone video on social media showing the search inside the flood-affected tunnel. The footage revealed that the search reached the tunnel's far end but found no survivors or bodies. Maharjan expressed concerns that anyone attempting to flee further into the tunnel might have been buried under debris. “It was not a slow flood but a high-intensity one. There was no time to run,” he stated. The Nepal Army, supported by Indian and Chinese specialists, has been conducting extensive searches using controlled explosions, excavators, and searchlights. So far, three bodies have been recovered from two tunnels, while other sections remain inaccessible due to mud and debris. Rescue operations are concentrated on five key hydropower projects, including the Upper Trishuli complex, where authorities estimate around 350 people could still be trapped inside a tunnel. Over 10,000 Nepali soldiers have been deployed alongside international experts to aid in the search and recovery efforts. The August 26 flash flood, triggered by a glacial collapse, has claimed more than 900 lives and left nearly 5,000 people missing. Rescue teams continue to work tirelessly across multiple sites, hoping to locate those still trapped in the affected areas. As the situation evolves, the focus remains on locating the remaining missing workers and providing support to those affected by the disaster.