The death toll from last week's flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border has passed 1,000, and rescue crews are still digging through mud-filled tunnels where more than 600 hydropower workers are believed to be trapped. Officials in Nepal say about 3,900 people remain missing, most of them from villages washed away when water surged down the Bhote Koshi river valley.
Tunnels became death traps
The disaster began when a landslide sent water from a high-altitude glacial lake rushing downstream. Workers at hydropower sites along the Trishuli River had little time to react. Some managed to call for help when the water hit, and survivors said the flood chased them as they ran for the tunnel entrances. Engineers have been pumping air into the tunnels, and one rescue team entered a tunnel before withdrawing after finding no one inside.
Rescuers are now blasting into hillsides to reach the trapped workers. The operation is led by Chinese and Nepalese military personnel, with experts from India, South Korea and Australia also taking part. Nepal's army has recovered at least four bodies from three tunnels. Prime Minister Balendra Shah said on Monday that 279 people had been rescued from the sites.
Families wait and hope
Families of the missing workers are camping near the tunnel entrances, waiting for any news. Many of the workers were employed at hydropower projects that line the river, including the Chilime plant in Rasuwa district, one of the worst-hit areas. Roughly one in seven of the missing are believed to have worked at such plants.
The scale of the disaster has raised fresh questions about how quickly Nepal is preparing for climate-driven floods. Scientists say warming temperatures are melting Himalayan glaciers faster, leaving unstable lakes that can burst without warning. The flood also hit the Tibetan side of the border, where information about victims has been limited.
Rescue efforts continue
Officials say the chances of finding more survivors are shrinking, but the search has not stopped. About 4,000 people remain unaccounted for across the two countries, and aid agencies warn that remote mountain villages may still be cut off. The government says its focus will now shift to rehabilitation as rescue teams keep working around the clock.