Nepal’s army pulls hundreds from flooded tunnel; 1,500 still missing

Nepal’s army has rescued hundreds of people trapped inside a flooded hydropower tunnel, as the death toll from days of heavy rain and landslides continues to rise. More than 1,500 people remain missing, and rescue teams are racing against time. The tunnel, part of a hydropower project in the central district of Sindhupalchok, filled with water and mud after a nearby river burst its banks. Soldiers used ropes and inflatable boats to pull survivors to safety. Officials say the rescued workers were mostly local laborers and contractors. Meanwhile, the Nepali diaspora gathered in New York for candlelight vigils, mourning the lives lost and praying for those still unaccounted for. Community leaders called for faster international aid, saying remote villages remain cut off. The government has deployed helicopters and thousands of troops to the worst-hit areas. But heavy cloud cover and damaged roads are slowing relief efforts. Meteorologists warn that more rain is expected in the coming days, which could trigger further landslides. Authorities have not confirmed the exact number of dead, but local hospitals report dozens of bodies arriving. The full scale of the disaster is still unclear, as many villages are buried under mud and debris. International aid agencies have begun sending emergency supplies, including clean water, tents, and medical kits. Nepal’s prime minister has appealed for global support, calling the floods “a national crisis.”