China-Nepal flood toll tops 1,000 as tunnel rescue offers last hope

NUWAKOT, Nepal—The death toll from devastating Himalayan glacial floods crossed the grim 1,000 mark on Tuesday, as Chinese and Nepali teams searched for survivors including dozens feared trapped in hydropower tunnels.

Nearly 4,500 people are missing after the gigantic wave of freezing water, rocks and debris from a high-altitude glacial collapse roared downstream on Wednesday, wiping out entire settlements and gouging a path of destruction through Nepal.

Nepali rescue teams are digging, drilling and blasting through debris in a race against time in treacherous conditions to free around 100 hydropower workers believed trapped in multiple tunnels.