Nepal steps up rescue effort to reach hundreds trapped in tunnels

Nepal has intensified efforts to reach workers trapped inside tunnels at an under-construction dam in the Himalayas.

The military airlifted heavy machinery by helicopter to the high-altitude project as rescuers confronted rising water inside the tunnel. The workers had remained trapped for four days after catastrophic floods hit the China-Nepal border.

The floodwater carried ice, rock and debris down a mountain valley, causing deaths and blocking access to those inside. Rescue teams were working to clear a path and reach the workers.