Nepal blasts hydropower tunnels to rescue missing workers

Nepali authorities are blasting into hillsides to try and reach hundreds of workers feared missing in hydropower tunnels.

Many of the 933 are believed to be inside the Trishuli-3A hydropower site in Rasuwa district – with fears that a critical window may be closing to rescue any underground survivors.

At about 2am on Monday, a controlled blast was carried out at the hydropower site in an attempt to open up access.

It follows an update from the prime minister’s office on Sunday saying that rescue efforts were being “intensified” at the hydropower site, including “blasting operations”.

Two excavators have been used to dig a hole about 10 metres deep, and the Nepali army says that work is under way to clear water, mud and debris inside the Trishuli 3A tunnel.

Nepal’s disaster agency says 191 survivors were rescued from tunnels on Friday, and a further 88 were rescued on Saturday.