Nepal, provisional toll reaches 1,225 dead and 4,757 missing; hope for 46 trapped workers

Search-and-rescue operations are continuing in Nepal following catastrophic flooding near the border with China, as authorities try to determine the fate of hundreds of people who are still missing.

According to provisional figures from the Emergency Management Authority, 1,204 deaths and 4,216 missing people have been confirmed in Nepal.

On the other side of the border, Chinese state media reported 21 deaths and 541 missing people in Tibet. In total, the provisional toll in Nepal and Tibet stands at 1,225 dead and 4,757 missing.

Amid the dire situation, a glimmer of hope has emerged for 46 workers at the Rasuvagadi hydropower plant, who are believed to have been trapped for a week in an underground space resembling a room inside the tunnel.

Amsu Kiran Shahi, an official with the Nepal Electricity Authority, said the workers may have survived because they are believed to have food and water inside the building.

“We are optimistic that they should still be alive after a week because they have food and water inside the building,” Shahi said.

Rasuvagadi, a 111-megawatt hydropower plant, is located in Rasuva district, one of the areas worst hit by the disaster. The facility lies in a mountain valley, about five kilometers from Nepal’s border with China.

An army attempt to enter the tunnel several days ago failed after no suitable passage was found. Shahi said teams would return to try to gain entry again.

So far, 279 people have been rescued alive from hydropower projects hit by masses of ice, rocks, mud and debris. These flows were caused by the collapse of a glacier near the border with China.

However, at least 639 people remain missing. Some of them are believed to have become trapped in tunnels connected to the hydropower projects.

Searches are also under way at the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower plant, where teams encountered large amounts of mud and needed almost six days to locate the tunnels.

Authorities hope there may also be survivors at this project, as a dry space is reportedly located inside the tunnel.

Rescue teams from Nepal, India and China are working at the site, using various equipment and technologies to search for survivors amid the ruins.

Nepal is using all available technology in the rescue operations and is also receiving support from India, China, South Korea and Australia.

The scale of the damage is also reflected in preliminary estimates by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). According to the estimate, the floods have generated at least 2.2 million tons of debris.

This mass consists of fragments of buildings, rocks and sediment and has been compared to around six buildings the size of the Empire State Building.