Nepal flash floods aftermath LIVE: Good chance that trapped workers are still alive in Nepal hydropower plant, official says - The Hindu

**Nepal Flash Floods Aftermath: Rescue Hope at Hydropower Plant Amid Growing Death Toll**

The monsoon‑season deluge that struck Nepal in early August has turned into the country’s deadliest natural disaster in recent memory, with the police reporting a confirmed death toll of **1,127** people. Torrential rain triggered landslides and flash floods across the central and eastern hills, sweeping away homes, roads and entire villages. The devastation has also crippled critical infrastructure, including power generation sites, transport corridors and communication networks, leaving millions without electricity or safe drinking water. International aid agencies and neighboring governments have mobilised resources, but the scale of the disaster continues to strain Nepal’s emergency response capacity.

Amid the broader humanitarian crisis, officials monitoring the **Koshi‑based hydropower plant** where more than a dozen workers were reported missing have offered a glimmer of optimism. A senior government spokesperson told *The Hindu* that “there is a good chance that the trapped workers are still alive,” based on preliminary sonar scans and the absence of debris in the immediate vicinity of the submerged intake tunnel. Rescue teams, aided by the Nepalese Army’s engineering corps and foreign specialist divers, are conducting a coordinated underwater operation, employing inflatable submersible chambers and remote‑operated vehicles to locate and extract any survivors. The operation is expected to continue for several days, with authorities urging families to remain patient while safety remains the top priority.

The disaster has also reignited long‑standing diplomatic debates over climate responsibility. Kathmandu has formally **requested compensation** from India, the United States and China, arguing that unchecked carbon emissions and inadequate trans‑border water management have intensified the floods. Beijing, meanwhile, has restricted foreign journalists from accessing the most affected Nepal‑Tibet border zones and has promoted a narrative of “positive developments” in its state media, prompting criticism from human‑rights observers. Nepal’s appeal for “climate compensation” underscores a broader push by vulnerable nations to hold major emitters accountable, even as relief and reconstruction efforts dominate the immediate agenda.