‘That Unbelievable Tragedy’: Workers Recall Narrow Escape from Upper Trishuli-1 Tunnel Flood

Dhangadhi: Only two months had passed since Akash Chaudhary and his wife Laxman from Gaunhiya, Bhajani Municipality-1, Kailali, reached Rasuwa for work.

They were working inside the tunnel of the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project being constructed by Power China Company. Three other people from their village were also working in the same tunnel. Their work, undertaken to earn a living, was risky in itself. The tunnel, excavated by breaking through a mountain, was vulnerable to water leaks. On Bhadra 10, Akash and four others entered the tunnel at 7 am for work.

Recalling that moment, Akash said, “We were working in groups wearing rubber boots and tying ropes. Within an hour of working five kilometers inside the tunnel, a strong wind blew inside. It was like a hurricane. For 10 to 15 minutes, the wind blew inside the tunnel as if it would sweep people away.”

As soon as the wind stopped, they heard people screaming outside. “We took off our rubber boots and ran blindly towards the mouth of the tunnel. As soon as we came out of the tunnel and climbed over the source, a dangerous black cloud that we had never seen in our lives arrived. People were shouting, ‘Save, save!’ Many people were swept away right before our eyes. Just like that, the JCB was swept away with the flood,” he recalled.

After managing to escape the tunnel in time, five people from Gaunhiya, including Akash, returned home after surviving the devastating Bhotekoshi floods. According to Akash, one person from Bardiya who had been working with him could not escape. About 10 hours after the flood, he crawled through the tunnel in an attempt to survive. He had no clothes on his body and was covered in bruises. Akash and his friends also helped carry him to the top.

Akash said only shouts of “save, save” could be heard everywhere. Recalling how many people were swept away, he said, “We barely escaped. We could not save others. I have also worked as a fisherman in the sea, but I have never seen such a terrible flood.”

Along with Akash, Ramswaroop, Santosh and Prem Chaudhary from Gaunhiya also managed to escape and save their lives.

After being rescued, Akash became worried about what had happened to his father, Laxman. His father had not been on duty at the time. Laxman had gone to the company in the morning to get gumboots because he was scheduled for the night shift.

Laxman said, “We used to work in two shifts in the third tunnel. Since I had night duty, I had gone to the company office to get new rubber boots for the boy. When I returned from there and was walking on the bridge, I saw a flood that I had never imagined in my life.”

Chaudhary said he ran from the bridge and climbed a hill about 50 meters above, while the flood washed away the bridge.

“The company I had entered and exited, all the houses in the company, including the people, were washed away in an instant. After that, I felt so scared that I couldn’t think anything,” he said.

After calming down for some time, Chaudhary said he began crying and searching for his son. At the same time, Akash had also started crying and searching for his father. The father and son, who had been separated after the place was destroyed by the flood in an instant and had taken shelter separately on the hills, could not find each other that day.

Chaudhary said, “The son was crying over there wondering if his father had been swept away, while I was crying over there wondering if my son had been swept away. All the clothes, money and mobile phones were swept away. On the second day, when we found everyone in the village, including our son, safe, we felt so happy that I can’t describe it.”

Those who survived the devastating flood recalled spending a difficult night in the dark amid the disaster. The government rescued all five of them by helicopter the following morning. They returned home via Kathmandu from Rasuwa on Bhadra 16.

Even after returning home, Akash said he was saddened by thoughts of workers from Tikapur and Bardiya in Kailali who were still working 10 to 15 kilometers inside the tunnel of the same company.

“We, who were within five kilometers, barely escaped. They were still inside. We have no idea what happened,” he said.

According to Swarup Chaudhary of Gaunhiya, the flood that hit Bhotekoshi was worse than a flood. After returning home, he said while sobbing, “We were relieved because the locals said there would be no major flooding, but it happened in such a way that I cannot describe it.”

The workers who survived the disaster by chance contacted their families on the second day and informed them that they were safe. Laxman, who returned home after feigning death, said, “We will never go to work in such a place again.”