Guwahati: In just 10 terrifying minutes, floodwaters turned Nepal’s Upper Trishuli project into a death trap on Wednesday, nearly trapping two Assam workers.The swelling Trishuli River tore through the under-construction hydropower project and swept away the adjoining residential colony.Fitters Pankaj Barman and Samar Bezbaruah scrambled up the adjoining hills as floodwaters engulfed the facility, narrowly escaping death. Rescuers evacuated them to Kathmandu on Friday, where Samar described their survival as miraculous. The day began under clear skies, with no sign of rain.“We had just arrived at the project site and begun work inside the underground powerhouse at around 9.35 am. Suddenly, we noticed water entering the powerhouse as the emergency sirens grew louder and louder. Realising the danger, we immediately abandoned our work and ran towards the top of an adjoining hill to save ourselves,” Samar told TOI from Kathmandu.Samar said everything inside the powerhouse was shattered and flooded within minutes. A worker from Bihar died before their eyes.“In just about 10 minutes, everything was over. Right in front of us was a hill, and we climbed nearly 80 to 90 feet up its slope to save our lives. For those terrifying 10 minutes, the scene below was one of complete devastation as the rushing water wreaked havoc,” he said.Of the 11 Assam workers reportedly engaged by a private firm, three remain missing — Samar’s neighbour Arun Mahanta, Shatadal Nath of Doboka in Hojai district and Rhitupurno Brahma of Karbi Anglong.Mahanta, a skilled worker, travelled to Nepal with Samar seven months ago. Pankaj had been working there for three years. Mahanta reportedly returned from night duty and was resting in the residential colony when it was swept away.“The floodwaters were rushing at an incredible speed, rising above the rooftops of the workers’ colony. At that time, another colleague from our village, Arun da, was probably asleep after returning from his night shift,” Samar said.The colony stood well above the Trishuli’s riverbed, underscoring the force of the floodwaters.Samar said eight Assam workers were evacuated to Kathmandu in the last 24 hours, but anxiety continued over the three still untraceable.
