Nepal steps up rescue effort to reach hundreds trapped in tunnels

Nepal steps up rescue effort to reach hundreds trapped in tunnels  Reuters

More than 800 people are now confirmed to have died in the Nepal and Tibet flash flood - with over 3,000 listed as missing. Hundreds are thought to be workers at Nepal's hydropower projects - who are trapped in blocked tunnels.

Most of the workers are trapped at four hydropower projects, with rescuers racing against time to reach those buried under debris in blocked tunnels

Highly trained mountain guides and Everest veterans joined flood rescue efforts in Nepal's Rasuwa district. Specialist teams used expedition skills to access disaster zones where roads had disappeared. Rescuers entered a mud-choked hydropower tunnel, pushing approximately 120 meters inside. They recovered a camera b

Nepali army rescue teams were using drilling equipment on Saturday seeking to rescue more than 100 people trapped inside a hydropower tunnel, three days after devastating floods struck the site.

Video from Nepal's Prime Minister's Office shows rescue workers pulling trapped citizens through a mud-saturated hydropower plant tunnel in Rasuwa.

Videos of the disaster, which tore through the border area between Tibet and Nepal, have been removed from social media by China’s censors.

A 13-year-old girl is among the 33 British nationals believed to be missing following the disaster.

The number of stranded tourists expected to rise given the tourist flow during vacation season; those seeking assistance can contact the NoRKA Global Contact Centre at 1800 425 3939 (toll-free) or +91 88020 12345 (missed call from abroad)