Nepal flood death toll crosses 900 as hundreds stuck in hydropower tunnels
Catastrophic flooding in Nepal and China has resulted in over 900 deaths, with thousands still missing. Rescue efforts are focused on hydropower tunnels where hundreds of workers are believed to be trapped, though hopes for survivors are fading.
Why it matters
This is a major humanitarian disaster with significant loss of life and infrastructure damage, highlighting the vulnerability of mountain regions to extreme weather.
Rescuers rushed Monday to reach workers believed to be trapped in tunnels at hydropower sites buried in mud after catastrophic flooding in Nepal and China , as the death toll continued to rise and increasingly desperate families search for their loved ones.
The combined deaths in Nepal and China surpassed 900, with more than 4,700 people missing, and a private-sector association representing power companies said at least 900 workers have been unaccounted for from 12 hydropower projects damaged by the floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.
Mohan Kumar Dangi, president of the Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal, or IPPAN, said there’s an estimation of at least 500 of the 900 missing workers trapped in the tunnels, although authorities have provided varying numbers and said several foreign teams were assisting Nepali rescuers.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in