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# 300 workers are entombed in flooded tunnels, and Nepal is drilling for them
- URL: https://www.bushletter.com/300-workers-entombed-flooded-tunnels-nepal-drilling/
- Published: 2026-08-31T03:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-31T02:59:59.000Z
- Description: Nepal Army excavators and dozers are boring through heavy debris blocking the intake portals of the Upper Trishuli tunnel system, four days after floodwaters trapped close to 300 workers inside.
- Author: Editor
- Tags: News

![Caleb Reed](https://res.cloudinary.com/dz77sb7j1/image/upload/v1774262572/bushletter/authors/caleb-reed.png)

By **Caleb Reed** · 2026-08-31

TLDR

Nepal Army excavators are cutting through flood debris blocking the Upper Trishuli tunnel system, where close to 300 workers including Chinese nationals remain trapped four days after a glacial lake burst. More than 250 workers have already been pulled out. The wider disaster has killed over 800 people across Nepal and Tibet, with more than 3,000 still missing.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Close to 300 workers, many of them Chinese nationals, are still trapped in the Upper Trishuli tunnels four days after the flood.

02Nepal Army excavators and dozers are boring through heavy debris blocking the tunnel intake portals.

03More than 250 workers have been rescued from the Upper Trishuli-1 tunnel area since the flood struck.

04A glacial lake burst in Tibet on 26 August triggered flash floods that hit four Nepali districts within minutes.

05Over 800 people have died and more than 3,000 are missing, including more than a dozen Australians.

## Army cuts into blocked tunnels

Nepal Army excavators and dozers are boring through heavy debris blocking the intake portals of the Upper Trishuli tunnel system, four days after floodwaters trapped close to 300 workers inside.[\[1\]](https://radionepalonline.com/en/2026/08/30/435049.html?ref=bushletter.com) Rescue teams are pushing to force open a 10-kilometre underground corridor sealed by the surge, with army units running continuous operations at the site.

More than 250 workers have already been pulled from the Upper Trishuli-1 tunnel area, with almost 300 still believed to be cut off inside, according to Giriraj Adhikari, CEO of Nepal Water and Energy Development Company.[\[2\]](https://radionepalonline.com/en/2026/08/30/435094.html?ref=bushletter.com) Adhikari said the trapped group includes Chinese nationals.

"Three audit tunnels are there in 10-km-long tunnel," Adhikari said. "A team of workers including Chinese nationals is trapped there. We are waiting for their rescue."[\[2\]](https://radionepalonline.com/en/2026/08/30/435094.html?ref=bushletter.com)

## Who is inside and where

The Upper Trishuli system runs through Rasuwa district in northern Nepal, close to the Tibetan border. Workers are distributed across three access shafts within the 10-kilometre headrace tunnel, complicating extraction as debris continues to block the main portal.

A Nepal Army helicopter reached the Upper Trishuli-3A project site in the immediate aftermath of the flood, acting on direct orders from Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha.[\[3\]](https://english.onlinekhabar.com/army-team-reaches-upper-trishuli-3a-project-to-rescue-stranded-employees.html?ref=bushletter.com) "We must adopt all necessary measures to resume rescue and electricity service as soon as possible and to advance the work at a rapid pace," Shrestha said.[\[3\]](https://english.onlinekhabar.com/army-team-reaches-upper-trishuli-3a-project-to-rescue-stranded-employees.html?ref=bushletter.com)

## How the flood hit

A massive flash flood tore through the Bhote Koshi River at 8:40 AM on 26 August 2026, striking Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Gorkha districts and severely damaging hydropower facilities across the region.[\[4\]](https://mrao.moha.gov.np/en/post/ha-ra-tha-ka-apa-l-11?ref=bushletter.com) A glacier-fed lake in Tibet burst, sending a debris-laden surge down the river valley that submerged roads, bridges and hydropower intakes within minutes, cutting off workers before evacuation was possible.

Nepal has rapidly expanded run-of-river hydropower in Himalayan valleys to exploit steep river gradients. Underground headrace tunnels cut through fragile rock and glacial moraine, leaving intake portals exposed when disaster-driven debris enters at volume.

## The wider toll

By 5:00 PM NST on 26 August, 72 bodies had been recovered and 403 people from 25 countries were reported missing, among them 341 foreign nationals.[\[5\]](https://www.mofa.gov.np/content/1865/latest-updates-on-flash-floods--26-august/?ref=bushletter.com) The overall death toll across Nepal and Tibet has since passed 800, with more than 3,000 people still unaccounted for.

More than a dozen Australians remain missing as multinational rescue teams concentrate on isolated hydropower sites. Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed workers from at least 25 countries were among those swept up in the disaster.[\[5\]](https://www.mofa.gov.np/content/1865/latest-updates-on-flash-floods--26-august/?ref=bushletter.com)

Army excavation at the Upper Trishuli tunnel intake is continuing as of 30 August, with no confirmed extraction timeline announced by rescue command.

SOURCES & CITATIONS

1. [Nepal Army rescue operations at Upper Trishuli tunnel site](https://radionepalonline.com/en/2026/08/30/435049.html?ref=bushletter.com)
2. [Giriraj Adhikari statement on trapped workers, Radio Nepal Online](https://radionepalonline.com/en/2026/08/30/435094.html?ref=bushletter.com)
3. [Army team reaches Upper Trishuli-3A project, Online Khabar](https://english.onlinekhabar.com/army-team-reaches-upper-trishuli-3a-project-to-rescue-stranded-employees.html?ref=bushletter.com)
4. [Nepal Ministry of Home Affairs flash flood situation report](https://mrao.moha.gov.np/en/post/ha-ra-tha-ka-apa-l-11?ref=bushletter.com)
5. [Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs latest updates on flash floods 26 August](https://www.mofa.gov.np/content/1865/latest-updates-on-flash-floods--26-august/?ref=bushletter.com)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many workers are trapped in the Nepal hydropower tunnels?

Close to 300 workers remain trapped inside the Upper Trishuli tunnel system as of 30 August 2026, according to Nepal Water and Energy Development Company CEO Giriraj Adhikari. More than 250 others have already been rescued.

What caused the flash floods in Nepal?

A glacier-fed lake in Tibet burst on 26 August 2026, sending a surge of debris-laden water down the Bhote Koshi River. The floodwaters struck four Nepali districts within minutes, submerging roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.

Are any Australians among those missing?

More than a dozen Australians remain unaccounted for as of 30 August, according to reporting on the disaster toll. Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed workers from 25 countries were reported missing in the immediate aftermath.

How is the rescue operation being conducted?

Nepal Army excavators and dozers are boring through heavy debris blocking the intake portals of the Upper Trishuli tunnel. A helicopter reached the adjacent Upper Trishuli-3A site early in the operation, and ground teams have maintained continuous efforts since.

![Caleb Reed](https://res.cloudinary.com/dz77sb7j1/image/upload/v1774262572/bushletter/authors/caleb-reed.png)

[Caleb Reed](https://bushletter.com/author/caleb-reed/?ref=bushletter.com)

Caleb Reed covers breaking news and sport. He works to the rhythm of a story as it unfolds, and he is happiest when the facts arrive faster than anyone can spin them.