Nepal, Sept. 2 -- Prime Minister Balendra Shah has said rescue operations inside hydropower project tunnels following the Bhotekoshi flood in Rasuwa have been hampered not by a shortage of manpower but by the extraordinary conditions created by the flood.

Addressing the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Shah said a massive amount of mud, silt and other debris had entered the tunnels, creating exceptional challenges for rescue teams.

He said the government was continuing the search for people who remain unaccounted for in Rasuwa and would take responsibility for treating the injured and providing both temporary and long-term rehabilitation to those who have lost their homes. "No one will be left behind," Shah said. "The government ...