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KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) \u2014 Drone pilot Manish Maharjan has helped rescue teams in Nepal find people missing after last week\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>catastrophic floods<\/a>, sometimes using speakers mounted on the devices to call out to or play music for those stranded on hillsides.<\/p>\n But the search for hundreds of workers believed to be\u00a0<\/span>trapped in power plant tunnels<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u2014 now a major focus of rescue operations \u2014 presents an entirely different challenge, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe found tunnels were filled with mud like toothpaste in a tube,\u201d Maharjan said. \u201cThere was no hollow or empty space inside.\u201d<\/p>\n Maharjan, who is also a filmmaker, joined the Nepal Army\u2019s rescue efforts a day after the Aug. 26 flash floods, which have\u00a0<\/span>killed more than 1,000 people<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and left thousands missing in Nepal and Tibet.<\/p>\n \u201cWe used microphone speakers to call out to them. In some places, we even played songs and then waited for a response,\u201d Maharjan said. \u201cThat worked in a few cases and helped us locate people.\u201d<\/p>\n The torrent of water unleashed after a glacial collapse in the Himalayan region caused widespread damage to critical infrastructure, including roads, buildings, bridges \u2014 and hydropower plants. At least 900 workers are still missing from 12\u00a0<\/span>hydropower projects<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>buried under mud and debris. About 500 of them are believed to be trapped inside power plant tunnels.<\/p>\n
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