Mesmerizing footage captures Nepalese rescue teams heroically freeing stranded individuals from the muddy confines of a hydropower plant tunnel, following a catastrophic mudslide that has left more than 1,000 individuals unaccounted for.
The Prime Minister’s Office of Nepal unveiled this poignant video on Friday, highlighting the relentless efforts of rescuers as they maneuver people through a tunnel engulfed in thick mud.
On Facebook, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that they have successfully rescued 350 individuals from the muck-filled passageway. The post further explained that operations are ongoing to assist over 100 more individuals still trapped, while also reporting that 533 residents have been evacuated from areas overwhelmed by flooding.
This urgent rescue initiative was launched in response to the catastrophic mudslide that devastated Rasuwa district in northern Nepal, a disaster that also impacted the neighboring Chinese province of Tibet.
In this vivid scene, rescue workers are seen aiding a person from a hydropower project tunnel, following flash floods and a mudslide in Rasuwa, Nepal, as depicted in a handout video released on August 28, 2026. (PMO Nepal/Handout via Reuters)
At least 538 people have been confirmed dead in Nepal, according to the most recent estimate from the Nepal National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) and the Nepal Police.
MORE THAN 3,000 MISSING AFTER COLOMBIA EARTHQUAKE AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROVIDES $15.5 MILLION IN RELIEF
People unaccounted for on the Nepal side now number up to 1,924, according to The Associated Press.
Chinese authorities also report that, on the Chinese side of the border in Tibet, which was also affected by the deluge and ensuing mudslide, five people were confirmed dead with another 558 missing.
Aftermath of flash floods and mudslide at Trishuli Bazaar army training centre in Nuwakot, Nepal, August 28, 2026. (REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas)
Of the many missing people are approximately 90 Americans, according to the U.S. State Department.
President Donald Trump commented on the disaster Thursday, telling reporters, “That was a brutal… that was mud and water. It’s a mixture that nobody’s ever seen anything quite like that, where very powerful, strong, well-built buildings were wiped out like they were toothpicks.”
The uniquely devastating natural disaster was likely caused by a giant ice rock that crashed into the Lhende Khola River after an earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
“On Wednesday morning (local time), 26 August 2026, a catastrophic debris flow and flood was likely triggered by a glacial collapse in Langtang National Park, Nepal, near the border with China,” the USGS said in a post on its website.
A survivor is transported to a safer place in a JCB following a flash flood at Trishuli in Nuwakot district, Nepal, August 26, 2026. (REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLEDGES $150M IN AID, DEPLOYS NAVY WARSHIPS AFTER DEADLY VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES
“This debris flow and flooding travelled nearly 100 km and impacted populated areas downstream along the Trishuli and Bhote Koshi Rivers, including Gyirong Port, China. Preliminary media reports and imagery analysis indicate many buildings and infrastructure have likely been buried or destroyed, including a vital highway connecting China and Nepal,” the post added.
News Media contacted the Nepalese Foreign Ministry and the U.S. State Department for further comment.