The Nepal Army has confirmed that 37 bodies were found inside a project tunnel during search and rescue operations following the floods and landslides in the Bhotekoshi Corridor.

Speaking at a meeting of the Parliamentary Special Committee on Disaster Study and Monitoring for the Bhotekoshi and Kaligandaki corridors on Friday, Brigadier General Subas Jung Thapa said the conditions inside the tunnel were extremely dangerous and complex. He also reported that rescue teams had successfully rescued a Chinese national alive on the 11th day of the operation.

According to Thapa, the project was being operated by a Korean company with work carried out through a Korean subcontractor. Nepali and Indian workers were employed at the site, which included two major worker camps, a dam site, a powerhouse and other facilities. After obtaining the map of the 9.7-kilometre tunnel, the Army coordinated with two engineers to prepare a search and rescue plan. Initial inspections identified only two possible entry points, while other access routes were blocked.

Nepal Army personnel, along with Chinese and Korean teams, carried out the joint rescue operation. Of the 120 to 130 workers at the powerhouse area, 110 were evacuated by helicopter within 48 hours. However, reaching the descender basin area by helicopter was not possible. Rescue personnel faced thick mud, narrow passages and a shortage of oxygen while entering the tunnel. In some locations, compressors were used to clear obstructions.

Thapa said a Chinese national was rescued alive on the 11th day from an area where protection work was underway near the upper section of the tunnel. An Australian rescue team's drone was also used from Audit-3 to assess conditions approximately 1,700 metres inside the tunnel. The area was found to be completely blocked.

During the search, rescue teams found heavy machinery, mixers, excavators and trucks piled up in the headworks area, where 37 bodies were recovered. Thapa said the initial impact may have caused extensive damage. Around four kilometres of the tunnel had accumulated water and mud, reaching approximately 17 feet in a 21-foot tunnel section. The Army is discussing with the project and engineering teams whether controlled blasting from the Audit-1 area could help drain the water. Search and rescue operations are continuing, with 42 Nepal Army personnel currently deployed in the area.