Nepal’s Death Toll Tops 1,000 as Rescuers Dig for Hydropower Workers

Rescue teams in Nepal are racing against time to find workers trapped after a devastating flood, as the country’s official death toll has now surpassed 1,000. The disaster struck with little warning, sending a wall of river water through a hydropower project. One survivor described the terrifying escape to the BBC, saying the water “smashed into the tunnel and chased me for 20 minutes.” That worker managed to outrun the surge, but many others were not so lucky. Emergency crews are currently focusing their efforts on the tunnel, where they believe several workers remain unaccounted for. The flooding, triggered by relentless monsoon rains, has wiped out entire villages and destroyed critical infrastructure. With communication lines down in remote areas, officials fear the final casualty count could rise even higher. Aid agencies have begun distributing food and clean water to the displaced, but access to the hardest-hit valleys remains a major challenge. The government has declared a state of emergency and is coordinating military-led search-and-rescue operations. For now, the priority is clear: find the missing, treat the injured, and brace for more rain as the monsoon season shows no sign of letting up.