The death toll from devastating floods in Nepal has surpassed 1,000, with rescuers racing against time to locate more than 3,900 people still reported missing.

More than 600 of those missing are believed to be workers trapped inside mud-filled tunnels at hydropower projects along the Trishuli River.

Engineers have been pumping oxygen into some of the tunnels in an effort to keep survivors alive. One rescue team managed to enter a tunnel connected to a hydropower site on Monday but was forced to withdraw after finding no one inside.

“I wish we could find him. I wish he would come home,” Anushila Bhandari, wife of Aurus Bhandari, a 33-year-old engineer missing on a project site, told BBC Nepali.

Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah said 279 people had so far been rescued from the affected hydropower sites.

The rescue effort involves an international team, with Chinese and Nepalese military personnel leading operations. Experts from India, Korea and Australia are also providing assistance.

Rescuers Use Explosives To Reach Trapped Workers

Nepal Army personnel have turned to explosives and heavy equipment to break through hillsides and debris blocking access to the tunnels.

Each hydropower facility employs hundreds of people, including local workers, migrant labourers and highly skilled engineers.

Families of those missing continue to hold on to the possibility that their loved ones are still alive.

“I still have a 50% hope that he is alive because there is an oxygen system inside,” Sita Pandey, whose husband was working in the plant when the floods hit, told Nepalese daily Kantipur.

Nepal depends heavily on hydropower and has spent years developing projects along its mountainous river systems. Authorities said at least 11 hydropower projects that were either completed or under construction were damaged by the floods.

Rescuers began pumping air into one tunnel over the weekend, although relatives of those trapped have questioned why the effort did not begin sooner.

A rescue team later gained access to a tunnel leading to one of the hydropower plants but pulled back after finding no survivors.

“The longer it takes, the more our hope dies. This operation must move much faster because every second is meaningful to us,” Jiban Khadka, whose relative is also trapped inside the plant, told Kantipur.

“It’s a frustratingly slow operation,” Khadka added.

Shah said rescue efforts had been “intensified”, describing the floods as “not an ordinary” event.

“This incident indicates that the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing alongside climate change.

“It is now time for us to strongly raise with the international community the issue of the disasters we are experiencing as a result of climate change,” Shah wrote in a Facebook post late on Monday.

Families Wait For News Of Missing Relatives

Priya Kharel is another relative anxiously waiting for information. Her brother, Milan, was working as an engineer at the Upper Trishuli-1 plant when the floods struck.

“Those who returned from the hydropower site said there were people inside the tunnel,” she told BBC News Nepali. “So there is hope that if the army reaches them quickly, they can be saved.”

Australian engineer Arnold Dix, who has been assisting Nepalese authorities remotely with the underground search, said the scale of destruction had made locating the tunnels extremely difficult.

“The actual signature of them has gone – everything is just missing. It looks like a lunar landscape,” he told BBC Radio 4’s World at One.

Dix explained that once rescuers identify the locations of the power stations, they can determine how best to reach them, with operations typically involving digging and “blasting boulders”.

“There’s boulders bigger than houses. I’ve never seen that before in my life. It’s just an extraordinary operation,” the former head of the International Tunnelling Association said.

Despite the enormous challenges, Dix said there was still reason to hope for workers trapped underground, as tunnels may have provided some protection from the devastating floodwaters above.

Only A Small Number Of Bodies Identified

The disaster has also created a major challenge in identifying the dead.

A spokesperson from Nepal’s Ministry of Health told BBC Nepali that only 4% of the 900 bodies recovered so far had been identified.

In Chitwan, far downstream from the areas initially hit by the floods, authorities have begun temporary burials after nearly 300 bodies were carried to the riverbanks.

The smell of decay has spread through the area as workers wearing white personal protective equipment, including masks, transport unidentified bodies in trucks.

Over the weekend, a large section of forest outside the city was dug up, with medical workers and volunteers collecting DNA samples from unidentified remains.

Ganesh Aryaal, the chief district officer, said families would still be able to recover their relatives’ remains after DNA testing establishes their identities.

“We don’t have enough freezers here… We had to choose this last alternative of temporary burial system. We are really overwhelmed,” he said.

Tibet Records Additional Deaths

Across the border in Tibet, the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, regarded as the second-highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism, held a memorial service as rescue teams continued working through waist-deep mud.

Chinese state media puts the death toll in Tibet at 16, with another 546 people reported missing.

Information from the region remains limited, with footage and reports about the floods heavily controlled in China.

State media reported that the once-busy border crossing with Nepal had been devastated, with the base of a single water tower reportedly the only structure still standing.

Chinese authorities have also imposed “administrative penalties” on people who posted online speculation suggesting the actual casualty figures could be significantly higher than officially reported.

In Nepal, authorities have similarly ordered the removal of online material they consider misinformation about the floods.

With thousands still missing and rescue teams struggling through enormous quantities of mud and debris, families across the affected region continue to wait for news of their loved ones.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to hit Iran “hard” following renewed military exchanges between Washington and Tehran, raising fears that the six-month conflict could escalate once again.

The latest confrontation comes after the United States launched strikes on Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. Iran subsequently retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting US-linked military positions in the Middle East.

After months of relative calm, the renewed exchange has heightened concerns over a possible return to large-scale hostilities.

“We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump said, according to a Fox News reporter who spoke to him briefly. “There will be a response.”

The United States said its strikes targeted Iranian rocket launchers that were allegedly preparing to deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global shipping route.

Iran, meanwhile, launched missile and drone attacks that it said were aimed at US forces in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian later called for dialogue and cooperation.

“We continue to strive for a path of agreement and understanding, and we believe that continuing the war is neither in our interest, nor in the interest of the region,” he said at a summit in Kyrgyzstan, adding “the solution to the existing problems is dialogue and cooperation.”

Iranian state media reported that three people were killed and several others wounded in the US strike on Larak Island.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said a ballistic missile attack on two US air bases in Jordan caused “heavy damage”.

Trump, however, said all but one of the missiles fired at US forces had been intercepted, with the remaining missile assessed as posing no threat.

Jordan’s military said it intercepted eight missiles but did not specify their origin.

Iran also claimed to have targeted US personnel at an air base in the UAE and said it had shot down an American drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

Abu Dhabi confirmed that it had intercepted a drone over its waters but rejected reports that Al Minhad Air Base had been targeted, describing the claim as “baseless.”

The Revolutionary Guards later reported that another US drone had been shot down over Hormuz.

Iran’s armed forces central command also warned neighbouring countries against allowing the United States to use their territories for military operations against Iran.

Meanwhile, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker travelling out of the Strait of Hormuz was struck by three “unknown projectiles” near the northeastern coast of Oman. No casualties or environmental damage were reported.

The latest military confrontation comes as the Trump administration has increasingly focused on economic measures against Tehran.

Trump had earlier described Iran as “a Failed Nation”, claiming that its military had been decimated, its finances were collapsing, “and their leadership is in total disarray”.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said Washington would continue applying economic pressure on Iran.

“We are going to continue exerting pressure, and we’ve had very good discussions here already,” Bessent told reporters at a G20 meeting in North Carolina.

He said a major turning point in the campaign could come “within weeks or months”.

Iran has also used the Strait of Hormuz as a source of economic pressure. The strategic waterway remains heavily restricted, disrupting global trade and contributing to higher energy prices.

Before the conflict, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passed through the strait.

The Strait of Hormuz has remained at the centre of the confrontation between Iran and the United States.

Although traffic through the waterway remains severely restricted, Trump has claimed that the US Navy has “total control” of the strait. Washington also announced last week that it had completed efforts to clear explosives from international shipping routes.

Iran, however, continues to insist that it controls the strategic sea lane.

The Revolutionary Guards said Monday that a “rogue” oil tanker caught fire near the strait after hitting two mines while attempting to use an “illegal route.”

The US military dismissed the claim as “disinformation,” saying: “No ships have hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The renewed tensions come after months of unsuccessful diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting peace agreement. An earlier ceasefire and memorandum of understanding eventually collapsed.

Iran has recently urged Washington to return to the previous agreement. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television that “the solution is completely clear and straightforward: the United States must return to its commitments”.

“In that case, everything can be put back on the right track,” he said.

With military tensions rising again and the Strait of Hormuz still restricted, concerns are growing over the potential impact on global energy markets and the wider Middle East.

Rescue operations in Nepal entered a sixth day on Monday as teams battled through mud, debris and difficult terrain following devastating glacial floods along the China-Nepal border.

The confirmed death toll has risen to at least 903 in Nepal and Tibet, while nearly 5,000 people remain unaccounted for. At least 17 bodies have also been recovered from rivers downstream in India.

The tsunami-like surge of freezing water, rocks and debris swept through villages and towns after a glacial collapse, leaving widespread destruction and creating a major humanitarian emergency.

Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the disaster as “unimaginable and heartbreaking” late Sunday.

Rescue teams are racing against time to reach hydropower workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels. Teams from Nepal, China, India and South Korea are involved in the ongoing operation, which includes digging, drilling and blasting through layers of mud and debris.

So far, three bodies have been recovered from two tunnels, while several access routes remain blocked by mud.

Six-Year-Old Rescued After Four Days

Amid the devastation, rescuers have recorded some remarkable survival stories.

A six-year-old girl was pulled from the mud four days after the disaster and later reunited with her parents after police found her crying for her mother.

“Her body was trapped in mud, but her head was outside,” Nepali Armed Police spokesman Netra Bahadur Karki told AFP.

“She is out of danger and recovering at a hospital and has reunited with her family.”

Climate Change Raises Fresh Concerns

The US Geological Survey said the disaster was triggered by a glacial collapse, although the exact cause of the collapse remains unclear.

Scientists have warned that rising global temperatures are accelerating glacier melt around the world and increasing the risk of glacial disasters.

Nepali Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the country was among those suffering heavily from the effects of a changing climate.

“The people of Nepal are one of the major victims of the changing climate and its impact.”

The Himalayas, home to some of the world’s largest glaciers, are experiencing faster melting as global temperatures rise.

The scale of the destruction has also created enormous humanitarian needs. Entire communities have been swept away, leaving thousands of people without homes and forcing many to seek shelter in temporary facilities.

“This is an unfolding disaster,” UN Children’s Fund official Abiodun Banire told AFP, highlighting the huge needs of the tens of thousands of people affected.

Roads have been destroyed, power plants damaged and dozens of bridges swept away by the floods.

“We are continuing to work for search, rescue and relief operations,” Karki told AFP on Monday, as communications gradually improved in affected areas.

“Rescue teams have now reached most areas, by road or by helicopters,” he added.

Families Struggle to Identify the Dead

With morgues overwhelmed by the number of bodies recovered, Nepal has begun burying some victims after collecting DNA samples so that relatives can identify and reclaim the remains later.

Kathmandu has appealed for international assistance, saying the country needs “more than a thousand” freezer units to preserve the bodies.

Families searching for missing relatives have also been examining images of recovered victims at community centres in the hope of identifying loved ones.

Shobha Adhikary, from the southern city of Bharatpur, said she believed one of the images showed her childhood best friend.

“It looks like him, for sure,” she said, while showing a photograph of a smiling, middle-aged man.

“My husband and I are best friends with Rajkumar and his wife Geeta,” she said. Geeta has also been missing since Wednesday.

Among those still missing in Nepal are 592 foreigners, including tourists who had travelled to the Himalayan region for trekking and Hindu pilgrims heading towards the sacred Mount Kailash in Tibet.

Hundreds of Hydropower Workers Missing

Nepali army rescuers said teams were working to “clear water, mud and sediment” from tunnels where around 100 workers are believed to still be alive.

The missing workers are part of 933 employees at hydropower plants who remain unaccounted for in Nepal.

At the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower site, rescuers managed to break into the upper section of a tunnel buried under mud. They pumped air into the tunnel and used drilling and excavating equipment in an attempt to reach those trapped below.

“When members of the team descended using ropes and called out to those inside, there was no response,” Shah said, adding that rescue efforts were continuing.

China Faces Difficult Rescue Operation

The disaster also caused extensive damage in Tibet, where access for foreign journalists remains heavily restricted and Chinese authorities are the main source of information.

More than 2,000 personnel are involved in rescue operations on the Chinese side, but teams have faced major difficulties reaching the worst-hit areas.

State media reported that rescuers heading towards Gyirong Port, the epicentre of the disaster, had advanced only 285 metres on Sunday.

The glacial collapse also created large lakes held back by unstable debris, raising fears of further flooding and putting rescue workers at additional risk.

China has reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people in Tibet.

In Nepal, the disaster agency said 4,247 people remained missing, while 903 bodies had been recovered.

Reconstruction Could Cost Billions

The floods have struck Nepal at a time when its economy is already under pressure, adding another major challenge for the government.

Several foreign governments have pledged millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance, but the scale of the destruction is expected to make recovery a much longer and more expensive process.

Kathmandu has warned that rebuilding damaged homes, roads, bridges, power infrastructure and other facilities could cost “billions of dollars.”