Rescue teams battle floods and rugged terrain to free over 500 trapped in Nepal's hydro plants
The Nepalese army and Armed Police Force are working around the clock to locate and evacuate an estimated 500 people stuck inside six flood-damaged hydro-power sites.
In the wake of flash floods, Nepal's army and the Nepal Armed Police Force have launched a large-scale rescue across six hydro-power installations, including Upper Trishuli, Rasuwa and Trishuli 3A. Rough conditions and landslides have limited ground access, prompting the use of helicopters beyond Dhunche and drones to locate survivors. Approximately 7,000 troops and 4,000 police officers are on the ground, with the operation described as one of the toughest the force has faced.
Thirteen rescuers have been unaccounted for since the disaster began. A six-year-old girl, identified as Manisha, was found alive after almost 60 hours beneath rubble in Timure. By mid-afternoon on Saturday, the army had evacuated 208 people, among them 38 Chinese and five Indian citizens, to safer locations.
Why it matters
The rescue highlights the scale of Nepal's flood disaster and the challenges of reaching isolated communities.
How this story developed
- Aug 26 Flash flood devastates Himalayan villages, killing at least eight in Nepal and sparking cross-border rescue efforts
- Aug 27 India has pledged humanitarian assistance to Nepal following the floods.
- Aug 27 A sudden glacial-lake outburst flood in the Nepal-Tibet border region has killed over 270 people and left more than 1,500 missing, including hundreds of foreign tourists.
- Aug 27 Death toll rises to at least 157 in Nepal and three in Tibet, with 826 people missing in Nepal and 558 missing in Tibet.
- Aug 27 The United Nations pledged $2 million for relief efforts.
- Aug 27 Reports list at least 270 deaths in Nepal and three in Tibet, with about 90 Americans missing.
- Aug 27 The US Department of State said 90 Americans were unaccounted for in China and Nepal and it was not aware of any US deaths.
- Aug 28 Families of 39 Australians still missing after deadly floods in Nepal and Tibet are pleading for any information as a communications blackout hampers contact.
- Aug 28 Authorities warned that the debris‑clogged river and rising water in a blocked lake could cause additional flooding downstream.
- Aug 28 Rescue operations were halted for roughly one and a half hours after the lake began to overflow.
- Aug 28 A landslide-created lake on the China-Nepal border is overflowing, prompting emergency actions as the disaster has killed at least 543 people and left 1,535 missing.
- Aug 28 Death toll reported to have risen above 500 and missing persons count listed at about 977.
- Aug 29 Death‑toll estimates rose to at least 579 with about 1,400 people still missing.
- Aug 29 A temporary dam created by the landslide threatens to burst, risking additional flooding.
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