KATHMANDU: Rescue operations along the Nepal-Tibet border have entered their sixth day following devastating floods, with 794 deaths confirmed in Nepal and 16 in Tibet.
More than 2,500 people have also been reported missing in Nepal, including hundreds of workers believed to have been employed at hydropower projects.
In Nepal, authorities have intensified rescue efforts to evacuate hundreds of people believed to be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower projects following the floods. Experts from China and India have also joined the rescue teams, while efforts are being made to establish contact with those inside the tunnels. However, no response has been received so far.
At the Trishuli-3A hydropower project, rescue workers have successfully created an opening to gain access to a tunnel and have begun searching for survivors, according to officials.
Meanwhile, hundreds of those missing in Nepal are believed to have been working at various hydropower projects across the country. Foreign nationals from several countries are also among the missing.
In Tibet, which is administered by China, 16 deaths have officially been confirmed, while 546 people remain missing. Nearly half of those reported missing are believed to be foreign nationals.
So far, rescue teams in Shigatse have been unable to find anyone alive, underscoring the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the affected areas.
The floods have also affected at least 19 schools in three of Nepal’s worst-hit districts. According to the Education Ministry, nine schools have been completely destroyed, while seven others have suffered partial damage.
Furthermore, reports have emerged of teachers and students being reported missing from several educational institutions. A recent assessment has indicated that more than 200 students are missing, while around 20 are believed to have been swept away by floodwaters.
Several schools in the Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, where 2,425 students were enrolled, have been submerged or buried under debris.
In one incident, school authorities said a flood swept away a bus carrying students, adding to concerns over the safety of children in the disaster-hit areas.
