Rescue operations are continuing at Nepal’s Chilime hydropower project, where six workers are believed to be trapped inside a tunnel, with Indian and Nepali teams using heavy machinery to clear mud and debris and advance towards an underground powerhouse.

Also Read: Nepal flash floods wash away illusions of clean, easy hydropower

The operation gathered pace after an excavator, loader, and Bobcat were brought into the tunnel, India’s Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava said in an update on Saturday (September 12, 2026). The technical team cleared about 70 metres further, he said.

According to the project manager, the powerhouse is about 60 metres further down the tunnel. The rescue teams were to continue working through the night to reach it, Mr. Srivastava said.

The Border Roads Organisation has also prepared the approach road to the rescue site, according to authorities.

Separately, Nepal’s Army said it had constructed more than a kilometre of access road from Syafrubesi towards the Chilime tunnel, enabling rescue equipment to be taken closer to the site.

The Nepal Army and Indian rescue personnel are jointly working inside the Chilime tunnel, according to a report published in the Khabarhub news portal.

The Army has also prioritised rescue operations at the Upper Trishuli-3B hydropower project, where more than 100 Army personnel have been deployed, the report said.

The Himalayan Times reported on Sunday (September 13, 2026) that Nepali Army personnel were also continuing search-and-rescue operations at the Upper Trishuli-3B project site.

At Chilime, however, there has been no public confirmation that rescuers have established contact with the six workers. Reports indicate that rescuers found a pocket of air near the area where the workers are believed to be trapped, but that does not establish that they are alive or that contact has been made.

Flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal, killing nearly 1,400 people, while more than 5,000 remain missing.

The Bhotekoshi River, which flows south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.

Around 100 people are believed to be trapped in nearly a dozen tunnels linked to hydropower projects in flood-affected areas.

India has sent the first consignment of components for a 70-metre Bailey bridge to Nepal to help restore connectivity in the flood-affected Betrawati area, the Indian envoy in Kathmandu said.

The consignment was handed over to Nepal’s Road Division in Hetauda on Saturday (September 12, 2026), India’s Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava said in a post on X, adding that more consignments of the bridge components would arrive in the coming days.

“This bridge will help restore connectivity in Betrawati area that was affected by the recent flash flood in Nepal,” the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said in a post on X on Saturday (September 12, 2026).

A Bailey bridge is a portable, pre-fabricated modular steel truss bridge that can be assembled quickly by hand without needing heavy machinery or special tools.

The latest assistance on Saturday (September 12, 2026) is part of India’s ongoing humanitarian support to Nepal following the devastating flash floods that struck the northern and central regions of the Himalayan nation on August 26, killing nearly 1,400 people and leaving more than 5,000 missing as of Sunday.

India has sent more than 130 tonnes of relief material and deployed 54 expert personnel to support Nepal’s rescue, relief and forensic operations, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

New Delhi has also provided specialised tunnel and mud-rescue equipment, DNA kits and forensic equipment, along with essential supplies such as temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines.

The Indian Air Force has operated at least eight special flights to deliver relief supplies, while an Indian tunnel rescue team has been working with the Nepal Army in search operations and a forensic team has been assisting Nepali authorities in identifying the mortal remains of victims.

India has said it remains committed to supporting Nepal’s rescue, relief and recovery efforts following the floods.

India has sent the first consignment of components for a 70-metre Bailey bridge to Nepal to help restore connectivity in the flood-affected Betrawati area, the Indian envoy in Kathmandu said.

The consignment was handed over to Nepal’s Road Division in Hetauda on Saturday (September 12, 2026), India’s Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava said in a post on X, adding that more consignments of the bridge components would arrive in the coming days.

“This bridge will help restore connectivity in Betrawati area that was affected by the recent flash flood in Nepal,” the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said in a post on X on Saturday (September 12, 2026).

A Bailey bridge is a portable, pre-fabricated modular steel truss bridge that can be assembled quickly by hand without needing heavy machinery or special tools.

The latest assistance on Saturday (September 12, 2026) is part of India’s ongoing humanitarian support to Nepal following the devastating flash floods that struck the northern and central regions of the Himalayan nation on August 26, killing nearly 1,400 people and leaving more than 5,000 missing as of Sunday.

India has sent more than 130 tonnes of relief material and deployed 54 expert personnel to support Nepal’s rescue, relief and forensic operations, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

New Delhi has also provided specialised tunnel and mud-rescue equipment, DNA kits and forensic equipment, along with essential supplies such as temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines.

The Indian Air Force has operated at least eight special flights to deliver relief supplies, while an Indian tunnel rescue team has been working with the Nepal Army in search operations and a forensic team has been assisting Nepali authorities in identifying the mortal remains of victims.

India has said it remains committed to supporting Nepal’s rescue, relief and recovery efforts following the floods.