The search for 93 workers feared missing inside a hydropower tunnel in Nepal has ended without any immediate breakthrough after thermal drones found no indication that anyone remained trapped inside. The workers were reported missing following the devastating flash floods that struck Nepal’s Rasuwa district last week. The flooding affected several hydropower projects in the region, leaving workers unaccounted for and severely damaging infrastructure. At the 111 MW Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, rescuers feared that dozens of workers could have been stranded inside a tunnel after floodwaters surged through the area. A team involving Nepali Army personnel, engineers and drone operators was deployed to investigate the tunnel.

The rescue team managed to reach the far end of the tunnel and deployed thermal drones to scan sections that were difficult or dangerous to inspect manually. However, the equipment detected no signs of human presence. With the tunnel apparently clear of survivors, the Army led team returned to Dhunche in Rasuwa district. The development has deepened uncertainty over the fate of the 93 workers, who remain officially untraceable. The Rasuwagadhi project is only one of several hydropower sites hit by the disaster. Rescue operations are also continuing at projects including Upper Trishuli 3A, where 42 people are estimated to be missing, and Upper Trishuli 3B, where 122 people are feared unaccounted for.

The scale of the disaster has made rescue operations extremely difficult. Floodwaters, landslides, debris and damaged roads have cut off several locations, while tunnels and underground structures remain particularly challenging for rescuers to access. The Nepalese government has been coordinating rescue efforts with military teams and international specialists, while India, China and South Korea have also contributed aerial surveys, equipment and technical assistance at various affected sites. For the families of the missing workers, the lack of any confirmed information remains agonising. Authorities are continuing to assess the affected hydropower sites as the country deals with the devastating aftermath of the flash floods.