Mud-Filled Tunnels... "No Trace of People" Even After Launching Drones

[Anchor]

The death toll from the massive floods has exceeded 1,000. While miraculous rescue news is occasionally heard, no traces of people have been found yet in several hydropower plant tunnels where more than 600 people are estimated to be trapped.

Reporter Gwak Sang-eun has the details.

[Reporter]

Inside a tunnel filled with muddy water and soil.

Before rescue workers entered to search for the missing, they inspected the inside using thermal imaging drones.

However, no traces of people are visible anywhere on the screen.

[Manish Maharjan / Nepali Mountaineer (Thermal Drone Operator): Seeing that mud, water, and debris had filled 80 to 90 percent of the tunnel due to the flood, we lost hope.]

It is estimated that at least 600 people are trapped inside tunnels across several hydropower plants, and rescue workers are risking their lives to search for the missing at sites where the water has finally receded and entry has become possible.

Nepalese authorities stated that they have rescued about 11,800 people from the flood-affected areas so far, but no additional survivors inside the tunnels have been found since August 30.

[Nepalese Military Spokesperson: Large-scale search operations are underway in all tunnels. The latest information is still being compiled.]

The moment when a massive surge of muddy water struck without giving people a chance to escape.

A woman holding the hands of her two young children flees from the fierce rapids.

After falling and getting back up to run desperately, she barely managed to save her life.

Just before the flood struck, the mobile phone of a student who escaped school on a school bus vividly captured the powerful rapids rushing right up behind them.

[Flood Survivor Student (English Dubbed): Through the bus window, I saw the rushing water chasing us. Everyone started crying and screaming.]

A week after the nightmare floods swept through, the confirmed death toll in Nepal and China combined has surpassed 1,066, with more than 4,400 people still missing.

(Video Editing: Park Choon-bae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.