Kathmandu— Nepalese rescue teams, aided by Chinese and Indian experts, are racing to save more than 900 workers believed to be trapped underground at hydropower projects hit by flash floods. The unprecedented deluge of ice, rock, mud, and debris on the Nepal-Tibet border caused by a glacier collapse has killed 903 people with 4,247 missing in Nepal as of Monday. In China's Tibet region, at least 16 have died and 546 are missing.

Rescue Efforts Intensify

Nepal’s rescue teams are focusing on reaching the workers trapped in about a dozen hydropower project tunnels blocked by mud and rock debris. Pictures and videos shared by rescue teams showed earth-moving equipment digging and shovelling mud and rocks under lights at night as workers watched. Soldiers used torchlights to look for space to get into one tunnel.

"A large amount of debris has been deposited, posing us a big challenge to open the tunnels," Nepal army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet told Reuters.

Humanitarian Impact

Hundreds of bodies, many unidentified, have been buried in shallow graves as they began decomposing in humid weather after being swept down the mountains by the torrent. At a hospital in Kathmandu, morgues have reached capacity and families are flocking to other hospitals hoping to find missing loved ones.

The Red Cross has estimated that more than 90,000 people are likely affected by the disaster, which China has linked to climate change.

International Support

China’s state-run CCTV reported that the government has mobilized over 2,100 rescue workers and allocated at least 220 million yuan ($33mn) for relief efforts. Equipment and supplies have been airdropped to frontline rescuers while Chinese soldiers used life-detection equipment to look for the missing.

China has sent nine tunnel rescue experts to Nepal and shared satellite information with Nepalese authorities.

Rescue operations continue despite challenges posed by difficult terrain, adverse weather conditions, and concerns about potential new flooding.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.