Nepal tunnel traps hinder flood rescue: How many are dead or missing?

What the report says

Rescue teams in Nepal are still searching for thousands of people missing after flash floods that struck the Nepal-Tibet border area on Aug. 26, leaving the country facing a major humanitarian emergency. Al Jazeera reported that the disaster was triggered by a glacial collapse in Tibet, with floodwaters and debris sweeping through Nepal’s Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts and causing severe damage to roads, bridges and hydropower sites.

A major focus of the operation is a cluster of hydropower tunnels where many workers are believed to be trapped under mud and rock. Nepal’s disaster authority said 933 workers from hydropower projects were among the missing. Search crews have used drills, pumps and cameras to try to reach tunnel entrances, while the army said debris and unstable conditions are slowing progress. Some workers have been rescued, but officials said attempts to find more missing people have had limited success.

The scale of the response has widened beyond Nepal. According to the report, Nepal has allowed experts from China and India to assist, while international help has also arrived from the United Nations, the Red Cross Federation, Australia, South Korea and the United States. China has sent rescue personnel and equipment, and India has sent tunnel rescue specialists, forensic teams and emergency supplies.

Nepali authorities said Monday that 903 people had died in Nepal and 4,247 remained missing, while Chinese authorities reported fatalities and missing people in Tibet as well. The report said bad weather, rugged terrain and a risk of new flooding continue to complicate rescue operations.