Nepal races to rescue trapped workers, as flood death toll surpasses 900

What the report says

Nepal’s rescue crews are racing to reach workers trapped in hydropower project tunnels after severe flash floods and mudslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Officials said the main effort is centered on about a dozen blocked tunnels in flood-hit districts, where mud, rock and debris have made access extremely difficult. Chinese and Indian experts have joined the operation to help with tunnel rescue work.

The disaster, which was triggered by a glacier collapse, has caused extensive loss of life and damage in Nepal. Nepal’s disaster authority said the death toll had risen to 903, with 4,247 people still missing. Al Jazeera also reported that the flooding has left hundreds of bodies buried in shallow graves as families search hospitals and other sites for missing relatives. In the capital, Kathmandu, morgues have reportedly reached capacity.

Authorities said the humanitarian impact is wider than the tunnel incidents alone. The Red Cross has estimated that more than 90,000 people may have been affected, and Nepalese officials said nearly 21,000 security personnel are involved in rescue efforts alongside volunteers and civilian workers. Roads and highways have reopened in some areas, but large stretches of infrastructure were washed away, complicating deliveries of aid.

The report also noted that rescue work has been interrupted by bad weather and concerns about a lake formed by the disaster that could flood nearby rivers again. In a broader regional context, China said the floods also hit Tibet, where officials reported deaths and missing people, and Beijing has sent rescue workers and equipment to support operations.