Summary

  • Rescuers in Nepal are trying to reach hundreds of workers who have been trapped in tunnels since Wednesday's massive flash flood

  • A controlled blast was carried out at a tunnel at the Trishuli site in the early hours of Monday

  • 933 hydropower workers from sites across Nepal are missing - in total, 4,247 people are unaccounted for, with at least 903 known to have died

  • "To be honest, since Saturday we have lost hope," says one family in Wales waiting for news of a missing hydropower worker

  • The overall number of missing is a sharp rise from 2,502, which was announced on Sunday

  • Of those missing, 3,655 are Nepali citizens, with 592 foreigners unaccounted for

  • In Tibet, the official death toll is 16, with 546 reported missing, according to Chinese state media - while 10 people have been punished for spreading misinformation online

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Live Reporting

Edited by Imogen James, with reporting from BBC Nepali

  1. Rescuers battle adverse weather in effort to reach workers trapped in hydroelectric tunnels

    Workers in high vis and helmets use a large drill into a hard surface. They are in a valley where the ground is thick with mud and clouds hang in the airNepalese government

    An image shared by the Nepalese energy minister earlier on Saturday in a post providing updates on the rescue mission at the Trishuli-3 'A' hydropower site

    Throughout Saturday, Nepalese energy minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha provided updates on rescue efforts at hydroelectric facilities in the flood-hit area.

    At the Trishuli-3 'A' hydropower site rescuers have managed to drill a hole into one of the facility's cable tunnels.

    He says an initial inspection reveals no debris inside, but no communication has been established with anyone inside.

    The hope is that rescuers will be able to make a hole big enough for a person to enter, which may allow rescuers to access the site's main tunnel.

    In his most recent update, he says rescuers would try and work through the night, but that there is a risk their efforts could be impacted and even suspended "for some time as water flow is increasing due to continuous rain".

    Earlier in the day, he said rescue efforts were also continuing at another hydroelectic facility, Trishuli-3 'B'.

    Specialist teams from China and India have joined Nepalese rescuers for search and rescue efforts linked to a number of hydroelectric sites in the area.

  2. More than 250 foreign nationals rescued, Nepal Tourism Board says

    In its most recent update, the Nepal Tourism Board said that 261 foreign nationals have been rescued while 320 are unaccounted for.

    Officials have provided this breakdown showing how many people from each country have been rescued:

    • Belgium - 1
    • Bulgaria - 1
    • China - 40
    • Germany - 4
    • India - 167
    • Italy - 2
    • Malta - 4
    • Oman - 1
    • Portugal - 1
    • Russia - 2
    • Spain - 2
    • Switzerland - 2
    • Turkey -2
    • Ukraine - 8
    • US - 3
    • Unidentified - 21

  3. Rescue efforts enter fifth day on Nepal-Tibet border after flash floods

    The valley as seen from the air. The bloated river brown with mud flows past a settlement. The building and streets are coated in mudReuters

    Rescue efforts have entered their fifth day in Nepal and Tibet after flash flooding devestated a border area on Wednesday.

    The US Geological Survey and local officials believe the devestating flow of water, mud and debris was caused by a glacier collapsing.

    In Nepal, at least 675 people have died, according to the country's disaster response agency.

    It says more than 2,400 people are missing, and more than 18,700 rescuers have been deployed.

    In Tibet, the official death toll is seven, with 554 reported missing, according to Chinese state media.