Rescue teams search Nepal tunnels after deadly Himalayan flood

Rescuers are focusing on Nepal’s hydropower tunnels as one of the last hopes of finding survivors after a Himalayan flood killed more than 1,200 people. Authorities believe workers may have survived inside chambers cut off by floodwater and debris.

At least 1,204 people have been confirmed dead, while more than 4,200 remain missing. The flood followed the collapse of a glacier near Nepal’s border with China and tore through towns and valleys across the mountainous region.

About 900 hydropower workers are believed to be missing. Rescue operations were under way or planned at four projects. Two sites, involving about 90 missing people, offered the strongest prospects because rescuers believe air remains inside the tunnels.

At the Trishuli-3A project, officials believe a dry chamber may still exist and that oxygen could be moving through the tunnel. Pipes were also being used to pump oxygen inside. Specialized teams from India, China and the United States joined the tunnel searches.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah told parliament that the search would continue. Authorities said the chances of finding survivors elsewhere were fading, but rescue teams continued scouring the mountainside along the Chinese border.

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The search would continue.