934 Hydropower Workers Missing After Nepal Floods Hit Rasuwa and Nuwakot

As many as 934 people associated with 11 hydropower projects in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts remain out of contact following the catastrophic flooding of the Bhote Koshi River on August 26, the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal (IPPAN) has said.
 

IPPAN said 730 people linked to six hydropower projects in Rasuwa and 204 people connected to five projects in Nuwakot have not been reached since the floodwaters swept through both districts, causing extensive damage to power infrastructure, roads, bridges and other facilities.
 

The 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa accounts for the highest single count, with 576 workers and staff unaccounted for. The project is under construction and is being developed by Nepal Water and Energy Development Company (NWEDC), which is backed by South Korean investors, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group, and local partners.
 

In Nuwakot, the 37-MW Upper Trishuli-3B Hydropower Project has reported 158 people out of contact, while the 111-MW Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project has 93 people unaccounted for, making it the third most affected project by this count. The remaining 107 people are associated with eight other projects in both districts, some of which are still under construction and others already operational.
 

IPPAN said the August 26 floods affected a total of 13 hydropower projects across the two districts, with a combined installed capacity of 675.6 MW.
 

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said that as of Saturday morning at 10 a.m., 626 sets of remains had been recovered from the floods. The authority added that 2,426 people remain out of contact across the broader flood-affected region.

The flooding was triggered by a sudden surge in the Bhote Koshi River and caused widespread loss of life along with heavy damage to critical infrastructure throughout the region.