Death Toll in Nepal-Tibet Floods Tops 800 as Search Continues in Hydropower Tunnel

The date the photo was taken was not confirmed. Reuters/Yonhap News Agency [Financial News] Five days after a massive flood hit a valley on the border between Nepal and China, the death toll has climbed above 800. Local authorities have launched a full-scale search at a hydropower construction site where many workers are believed to be missing.
According to foreign media outlets, including AP, the Nepal Disaster Management Authority said on the 30th that 788 people had died in the floods and 2,502 were missing. Among the missing, 592 were foreigners. Around 8:37 a.
m. on the 26th, a large flood struck areas of Bagmati Province in Nepal near the border with China. Experts said melting Himalayan glaciers collapsed and swept through the valley with mud and debris.
The floods also triggered major landslides in Tibet Autonomous Region, China. As of the 30th, China had reported 16 deaths and 546 missing, including 261 missing foreigners. Combined, the two countries have reported 804 deaths and 3,048 missing.
According to Nepal's Ministry of Energy, Nepalese army rescue teams drilled an access route on the 29th into the upper section of a tunnel buried by debris at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project. They then installed pipes to pump in air and began sending in cameras.
On the 30th, rescuers used heavy equipment, including drills, excavators, hydraulic cutters and explosives, to bore four holes into the tunnel before entering the interior by rope. Nepalese authorities said at least 933 workers were missing from more than 11 hydropower sites in the affected Bagmati Province area.
Nine missing South Korean nationals were also cut off at a hydropower construction site. Authorities believe 100 to 350 people are trapped at the Trishuli 3A and 3B Hydropower Projects in Rasuwa.
The Office of the Prime Minister of Nepal said in a statement, "Rescuers descended into the hole using ropes and shouted for the people inside, but there was no response. " The Ministry of Energy said rescue teams were preparing to deploy personnel equipped with oxygen gear and cameras into a construction space about 180 meters inside the tunnel.
A joint rapid response team from the South Korean government and Doosan Enerbility had planned to fly two chartered helicopters on the 30th to search for the nine missing South Korean nationals, but the operation was canceled after Nepalese military authorities refused flight permission, citing safety concerns and air traffic congestion. India has sent 11 tunnel rescue specialists to Nepal, and China has dispatched a team of nine tunnel rescue experts.
Nepal has also asked the international community for specialized equipment and personnel needed for search and rescue, including large transport drones, DNA testing kits and refrigerated facilities for storing bodies. 9 trillion won, would be needed for recovery from the flood damage.
Five billion dollars amounts to 10% of Nepal's entire economy. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said, "We plan to draw up a recovery plan after assessing the damage, but for now we are asking the international community for support.
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The date the photo was taken was not confirmed. Reuters/Yonhap News Agency [Financial News] Five days after a massive flood hit a valley on the border between Nepal and China, the death toll has climbed above 800. Local authorities have launched a full-scale search at a hydropower construction site where many workers are believed to be missing.
[email protected] Park Jong-won Reporter