Rescue teams are working to reach hundreds of people believed trapped inside hydropower tunnels after devastating Nepal floods killed more than 900 people.
Nepali rescuers received assistance from Chinese and Indian experts as they worked through mud and rock blocking several tunnels. Authorities said difficult terrain and debris were slowing the rescue effort.
Nepal’s disaster management authority reported that 933 people linked to hydropower projects remained missing in the flood-hit region. Officials said rescue teams were focusing on about half a dozen blocked tunnels.
Heavy equipment has been deployed to clear the entrances, while soldiers and rescue workers search for possible survivors. The disaster swept ice, rocks, mud and debris through communities near the Nepal-Tibet border last week.
Nepalese authorities said 903 people had died and 4,247 remained missing as of Monday. The Red Cross estimated that more than 90,000 people were affected, while China reported deaths and missing people in Gyirong County.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the disaster as unprecedented and said assessing the full damage remained difficult. Nearly 21,000 security personnel are taking part in rescue operations, alongside civilian workers and volunteers.
Rescue efforts have also faced fresh risks from bad weather, landslides and unstable lakes created by debris. Authorities are monitoring high-risk areas for further flooding and landslides. The Nepal floods have also raised concerns about glacier instability and climate-related risks across the Himalayan region.
