Nepal flood toll jumps to 903, race to free hundreds trapped in hydropower tunnels

Nepal's flood and mudslide death toll has risen to 903, with over 2,500 people missing. Indian, Chinese and Nepali rescue teams are searching hydropower tunnels for trapped workers, while China's Xi Jinping has ordered intensified efforts to find survivors.

Nepal’s death toll from last week’s devastating floods and mudslides has risen to 903, while more than 4,200 people remain missing, as rescue teams worked overnight to reach hundreds of people believed to be trapped inside blocked hydropower project tunnels.

The disaster struck on Wednesday along the Nepal-Tibet border, sending a massive torrent of ice, rock, mud and debris through valley towns and villages in Nepal and across the border into China.

The unprecedented deluge, blamed on a glacier collapse, has caused widespread destruction and left hundreds of people dead or unaccounted for.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed authorities to make every possible effort to search for people missing after the disaster and step up rescue and relief operations.

The disaster has also severely affected Tibet, where 16 deaths and 546 missing people have been reported by Chinese state media.

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