Nepal Rescuers Use Explosives Searching for Hydropower Workers, Death Toll Reaches 939

Rescue operations in Nepal's eastern Taplejung district have deployed explosives to blast through a hillside, attempting to reach 17 hydropower project workers reportedly trapped after recent flooding and landslides. The labourers were engaged on the Kabeli B1 hydroelectric project, which has been severely impacted by the deluge.

Reports indicate that two individuals have been successfully rescued from the site, but the majority remain unaccounted for. Relatives of the missing are awaiting news at the project site, underscoring the ongoing distress caused by the widespread destruction.

The confirmed death toll from the monsoon-related flooding and landslides across Nepal has climbed to 939. This figure includes at least 15 fatalities directly linked to the Taplejung district disaster. The scale of the humanitarian crisis continues to mount, with hundreds of homes destroyed and crucial infrastructure severely damaged, impeding relief efforts.