River water smashed into tunnel and chased me, hydropower engineer says

Key Points:

• Nepalese hydropower workers experienced a sudden and catastrophic flood when water from the Trishuli River crashed into their tunnel, forcing them to flee for about 20 minutes as the deluge chased them uphill.
• The deadly flash floods have caused over 1,000 deaths and around 4,000 people missing, including many laborers working on hydropower projects like the Upper Trishuli 3B Hydropower Project, which was under construction.
• Survivors like Pemba Dundu Tamang and Itha Ghale have lost multiple family members and express deep grief and uncertainty about their future, especially with concerns that hydropower projects may be halted.
• Experts analyzing satellite data noted signs of growing instability around the glacier before the disaster, suggesting that improved early warning systems could have saved lives downstream, although the avalanche itself was too fast to be warned against.
• Rescue operations continue with Nepalese army and specialists from China and India using heavy machinery to clear debris and reach workers still trapped in tunnels and hydropower sites along the river.