Rescue efforts in Nepal are focused on hundreds of workers still trapped inside flooded hydropower tunnels after a glacial collapse along the Nepal-China border caused catastrophic flooding. Officials estimate that up to roughly 900 workers remain unaccounted for across about a dozen hydropower sites in the Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts. Nepali army units and other rescue teams are drilling into collapsed tunnel sections and wading through thick mud and debris to reach potential survivors in air pockets.
The overall death toll from the flooding has passed 1,000, and several thousand more people remain missing. Some workers have been pulled out alive after long periods trapped, while others who escaped early described chaotic scenes as water surged into the tunnels with little warning. International assistance has begun to arrive, including a South Korean relief team of about 44 personnel.
Engineers warn that unstable ground and continued water flow are complicating the rescue and slowing tunnel clearance. Nepali authorities have appealed for additional international support, including specialized drilling and rescue equipment, as the scale of the disaster raises questions about safety standards and early-warning systems at Himalayan hydropower sites.