Death toll from Nepal's massive floods rises to 955; one body recovered at power plant where South Koreans worked

[Financial News]  

The death toll from the massive floods in the Himalayan region along the Nepal-China border has climbed to 955. The number of missing has reached 4,471, and one body was recovered at a power plant where nine missing South Koreans had been working. The victim's nationality and identity have not yet been confirmed.
Meanwhile, rescue efforts are in full swing to locate people believed to be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower plants, where as many as 900 people may be stranded.
On the 31st of last month, the sixth day since the flooding began, Nepal's disaster management authority said at least 933 people were believed to be trapped inside tunnels at about six hydropower plant sites.
Rescue teams are focusing on reaching the tunnels at the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station and the Upper Trishuli 3B Hydropower Project in Bagmati Province, one of the hardest-hit areas. At the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Station, four holes were drilled the previous day to check the location and condition of people trapped inside the tunnel.
According to Reuters, Narendra Pariyar, the top administrative official in Rasuwa, the worst-hit district, said the improving weather had sped up rescue operations.
The Nepal Army also said rescue teams recovered one body from the tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, where nine missing South Koreans had been working. The identity has not yet been confirmed. The plant was under construction by Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility. A South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said the government was working with its diplomatic mission in the area to identify the body.
AFP reported that an Indian worker said six laborers were believed to have been trapped when the floor of the turbine room was flooded with muddy water mixed with ice. He was rescued on the 29th of last month while working at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project.
One helicopter from Doosan Enerbility flew over the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project office building and the upper weir dam, where the missing South Koreans were believed to be, as part of the search. It then landed near the plant's powerhouse, where on-site search teams inspected the situation directly.
The search was carried out from the air using one helicopter secured by the South Korean government’s joint rapid response team.
Meanwhile, Nepal's disaster management authority said the death toll had risen to at least 939. However, for reasons that were not explained, it revised the number of missing down by 320 from the previous tally to 3,925, including 592 foreigners.
In China, the death toll in the Tibet Autonomous Region stood at 16, while 546 people were missing, including 261 foreigners.
The total death toll from the floods in Nepal and China has reached at least 955, with 4,471 people still missing.


[email protected] Song Kyung-jae Reporter