Hundreds of workers feared stuck in hydropower tunnels as Nepal flood deaths cross 900

As the death toll continued to rise and increasingly desperate families search for their loved ones, KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) – 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.

What happened

Meanwhile, the combined deaths in Nepal and China surpassed 900, with more than 4, 700 individuals missing, and a private-sector association representing power businesses noted at least 900 workers have been unaccounted for from 12 hydropower projects damaged by the floods in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.

Although authorities have provided varying numbers and stated a number of foreign teams were assisting Nepali rescuers, mohan Kumar Dangi, president of the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal, or IPPAN, remarked there's an estimation of at least 500 of the 900 missing workers trapped in the tunnels.

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around hundreds of workers feared stuck in hydropower tunnels as Nepal flood deaths point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.