Story perspectives

Nepal rescues 300 workers from flooded hydropower tunnels

9/3/2026

Summary

Rescue Teams Save Workers

Nepal's rescue teams saved nearly 300 workers from flooded hydropower tunnels.
The death toll rose to 1,003.
About 4,000 people remain missing.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah called the flood an unprecedented Himalayan disaster.
China, India and South Korea dispatched specialists, generators, bridges and relief teams, raising aid to over $42 million.

Summary

Army Collects DNA

Army set up DNA collection stations abroad to match missing victims.
Over 30 foreign relatives, including Australians, have submitted DNA samples to Nepalese authorities.
More than 200 Nilakantha school children, ages five to eleven, remain missing after being swept away.
Save the Children reports rising anxiety and trauma among children in Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts.
Australian foreign affairs minister pledged an extra $3 million, bringing total Australian aid to $11 million.

History

Historical Context

The 2015 Nepal earthquake, which struck on 25 April 2015, killed over 9,000 people and devastated Kathmandu. The United Nations coordinated $10 billion in aid, India pledged $1 billion, China dispatched 2,000 troops, and the Red Cross sent 500 volunteers. Similarly, today’s Himalayan floods have prompted Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah to request assistance, with Australia adding $3 million and China, India, South Korea supplying equipment. These recurring trans-border responses underscore the region’s growing reliance on coordinated disaster relief and DNA-based victim identification to mitigate future humanitarian crises.

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Rescue Teams Save Workers

Nepal's rescue teams saved nearly 300 workers from flooded hydropower tunnels.
The death toll rose to 1,003.
About 4,000 people remain missing.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah called the flood an unprecedented Himalayan disaster.
China, India and South Korea dispatched specialists, generators, bridges and relief teams, raising aid to over $42 million.

1 / 3