Over 800 workers still missing after Bhotekoshi flood devastates Nepal hydropower sites
More than 800 employees at Nepal's hydropower projects remain unaccounted for nearly a month after the August 26 Bhotekoshi floods, according to Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha.
Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, Nepal's Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, informed the House of Representatives that over 800 people employed at hydropower projects and related facilities are still missing nearly a month after the Bhotekoshi floods on August 26. Among the missing are 47 Nepal Electricity Authority staff, and the Upper Trishuli-1 project alone has 439 workers unaccounted for out of 1,433 originally on site.
Rescue operations, coordinated by the Home Ministry, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the Nepali Army, police, armed police, local authorities and specialist engineers, continue to search underground structures and flood-affected areas. The Nepal Electricity Authority has deployed vehicles, a dedicated helicopter and resources such as explosives and fuel to aid the effort across all affected sites. The government announced an immediate relief grant of Rs500,000 for families of missing NEA employees and will pay them half their salaries for six months.
Why it matters
The large number of missing workers highlights the human toll of Nepal's flood disaster and the challenges of rescuing people in complex hydropower infrastructure.
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