Kathmandu

India's specialised tunnel rescue team made progress at two hydropower sites in flood-hit Nepal, establishing a foothold inside a tunnel at Chilime and probing up to 185 metres at Langtang, the Indian envoy in Kathmandu has said.

The team worked at the Chilime and Langtang sites in coordination with the Nepali Army despite inclement weather and difficult access conditions, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava said in a post on X on Monday.

India has deployed specialised teams to assist Nepal following the devastating flash floods of August 26, which swept through northern and central parts of the country, killing hundreds, leaving thousands missing and destroying homes, roads and bridges and hydropower projects.

Expert teams from India and China are assisting Nepal's rescue teams in tracing workers and employees who have remained unaccounted for at various hydropower project sites since the disaster, with many believed to be trapped inside tunnels.

Srivastava on Monday met India's technical teams deployed for tunnel rescue operations and was briefed on their work at the Langtang and Chilime tunnels.

"Despite inclement weather and difficult access conditions at Chilime, the team successfully established foothold at the tunnel and set up safety ropes inside tunnel," he said.

At Langtang, the Indian team, along with Nepali forces, was able to probe up to 185 metres inside the tunnel, he said, adding that rescue efforts would continue on Tuesday.

Srivastava also visited the Nepali Army base in Bidur, Nuwakot, which is serving as a staging post for rescue and relief operations in Rasuwa.

The ambassador also met Nepal's Home Minister Sudan Gurung and Energy and Water Resources Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha and discussed India's support for Nepal's rescue and relief efforts.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, 158 Indian nationals have been rescued from flood-affected areas in Nepal as of Monday.

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A specialised Indian forensics team also continued its work in Kathmandu in coordination with the Nepal Police's Forensic Science Laboratory, discussing optimisation of various protocols and documentation, the MEA said.