The death toll in Nepal’s devastating flash floods jumped to 903 on Monday, and 4,247 people were missing as rescuers scrambled to reach stranded residents and workers, the government said. The disaster agency said 592 foreigners were among those missing. The floods devastated several districts of the Himalayan nation, with Rasuwa near the border with China being among the most affected.
“We are working in search and rescue of the stranded people from hills, settlements and river areas,” army spokesman Brig.
Gen. Raja Ram Basnet said. Rescuers were trying to reach hydropower plants where at least 90 people were suspected to be trapped in tunnels blocked by mud and debris. Chinese and Indian experts helped Nepalis with the tricky tunnel rescues.
The floods started Wednesday when geological experts believe rock beneath a glacier in the Himalayas collapsed, sending a cascade of rocks and ice down valleys in Nepal and Tibet and carrying everything with it.
Chinese authorities say 16 people were killed and 546 are missing in Tibet due to the disaster.
