950 dead from Nepal, China flood as hundreds feared stuck in hydropower tunnels

NewsRelatives console Muna Khadka, center, who lost her son Aayush Khada, in flash floods, during mass burials in Chitwan, Nepal, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)AP Photo/Dar YasinHundreds of workers are believed to be trapped in tunnels at hydropower sites that were buried in mud by catastrophic flooding on the Nepal-China border, as workers continue to try and rescue them.The Associated Press reports the combined deaths in Nepal and China has surpassed 950, with more than 4,400 people missing. A private-sector association representing power companies, per the report, said at least 900 workers were unaccounted for at 12 hydropower projects damaged by the flash floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.About 500 of those workers were believed to be trapped in tunnels. The AP reports, citing one expert, that some workers could have access to oxygen, but others warned that the chances of finding survivors were diminishing. Nepal’s army confirmed four bodies were recovered from three mud-filled tunnels. Rescue efforts were focused on people trapped in the gigantic tunnels built for controlling the flow of water.In the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, in the hard-hit Rasuwa district, at least 576 people were missing, and around 300 of them were believed to be trapped inside the project’s tunnel.The Associated Press contributed to this report.Mark Heim is a senior writer who provides sports, news and trending content. He co-hosts a daily sports radio show on WNSP-FM 105.5 in Mobile. Heim has been recognized with awards for his writing, headlines and...