KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balendra Shah has informed Parliament that no technology currently exists anywhere in the world to immediately rescue individuals from hydroelectric project tunnels completely blocked by mud and silt following recent flooding.

Addressing the lawmakers, the prime minister described the disaster in Nepal as one of the largest in human civilization. He noted that the operational environment inside the flood-damaged tunnels differs markedly from conventional landslide rescue scenarios managed by international experts.

“The disaster that has struck our tunnel is unique,” Shah stated in Parliament. “Experts from all over the world have been working to remove landslides and rescue people. But there was no landslide here. The tunnels have been completely blocked by mud and silt due to floods. No other country has had the expertise to do this. We don’t have it either. No one has the technology to do it immediately.”

The prime minister outlined the intense physical challenges encountered by security personnel, including members of the Nepal Army and Armed Police Force. Heavy mud and silt accumulation around the tunnel entrances created unstable conditions, preventing responders from securing firm footing during initial response efforts.

“There was no place for the army and armed police to stand in the silt,” Shah said, explaining that security personnel had to attempt reaching the site by lying down and crawling. He added that deploying heavy machinery such as excavators or landing helicopters was impossible until stable ground was established.

Shah stressed that disaster response operations were initiated only after creating a workable surface at the location. He reiterated that the combination of floodwaters and dense mud created an unprecedented technical hurdle for rescue teams.