In Brief:
- Nepal Army engineers preparing blasting to widen tunnel access
- Rescuers reached tunnel's crown head at 2pm, created 2×3-foot opening
- No response received after team descended and called out
- Heavy equipment deployed to widen opening and facilitate entry
- 90-member joint rescue team: 66 Army, 18 Armed Police Force (with dog team), 6 Nepal Police
- Operation continuing around the clock under hazardous conditions
Nepal Army engineers have begun preparations for blasting and widening an access point as part of an increasingly difficult effort to rescue people trapped inside the Upper Trishuli 3 'A' hydropower project tunnel in Nuwakot.
According to Dipa Dahal, press and research expert to the Prime Minister, rescuers reached the tunnel's main section, known as the crown head, at around 2pm and created a 2×3-foot opening.
A rescue team descended through the opening using ropes and called out to those trapped inside but received no response. Authorities have since intensified efforts, deploying heavy equipment while simultaneously preparing for blasting to facilitate access.
A 90-member joint rescue team is currently deployed at the site, comprising 66 Nepal Army personnel, 18 Armed Police Force personnel including a trained search-and-rescue dog team, and six Nepal Police personnel.
The rescue operation is being carried out around the clock despite difficult and hazardous conditions, Dahal said.