Nepal flash floods LIVE: Death toll reaches 768; rescuers drill through debris towards trapped tunnel workers - The Hindu

**Flash Flood Devastation in Nepal Claims 768 Lives as Rescue Teams Race to Save Trapped Tunnel Workers**

*Kathmandu, Nepal* – A series of unprecedented flash floods triggered by extreme monsoon rains has ravaged Nepal’s eastern and central regions, pushing the death toll to **768** and leaving hundreds more missing. The deluge, amplified by landslides and swollen rivers, destroyed entire villages, washed away roads and bridges, and inundated the critical **Bhojpur–Biringi highway tunnel project**, where dozens of construction workers are believed to be buried under meters of debris. Emergency responders, including Nepalese army engineers, Nepal Red Cross volunteers, and international aid teams, have been drilling through the collapsed tunnel entrance in a desperate bid to locate and extract the trapped laborers.

The scale of the disaster has exposed the nation’s vulnerability to climate‑related hazards. In a televised address, Nepal’s Foreign Minister **Bishnu Prasad Paudel** called for a **“global effort”** to combat climate change, urging wealthier nations to honor climate finance commitments and to assist vulnerable countries in building resilient infrastructure. Meanwhile, satellite imagery and on‑ground reports have highlighted the stark contrast in information flow between Nepal and neighboring China; Chinese authorities have kept tight control over data released from the affected border districts, fueling speculation about the true extent of damage on the Chinese side of the watershed.

Relief operations continue amid logistical challenges. The army has airlifted supplies to isolated hamlets, while makeshift camps provide food, clean water, and medical aid to displaced families. International donors, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and several NGOs, have pledged **$45 million** in emergency funding. As rescue crews work around the clock, families await news of missing relatives, and the nation grapples with rebuilding a shattered landscape while confronting the broader implications of a warming climate.