Nepal disaster: Death toll rises to 919; 4,700 still missing

Rescue operations intensified Monday as catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet killed at least 919 people and left more than 4,700 missing, with rescuers searching for workers trapped at hydropower projects.

Nepal's disaster agency said 903 people had died and 4,247, including 592 foreigners, remained missing. China reported 16 deaths and 546 missing as of Sunday, including more than 100 Nepalis.

Mohan Kumar Dangi, president of the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal, or IPPAN, said the floods damaged least 12 hydropower projects in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, with about 900 people missing from project sites.

 At the Upper Trishuli-1 project, 576 were missing and about 300 were believed trapped inside tunnels.

Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet said teams were searching hills, settlements and river areas.

Geoscientist Jakob Steiner said the large hydropower tunnels could provide shelter and oxygen, but trapped people urgently need food and water.

In Tibet, authorities were rebuilding roads to Gyirong Port, where floodwaters 2-3 meters deep have hampered access.

Families are desperately seeking missing relatives. Maraval Nagappan traveled from India to search for his son, Sathya Narayan, who led 49 pilgrims returning from Mount Kailash.

The floods began Wednesday after a glacier collapse in the Himalayas. Scientists said the resulting rockfall triggered a magnitude 5.2 seismic event, sending rocks and meltwater into rivers and sweeping away buildings and bridges in Tibet and Nepal.