Death toll from catastrophic Nepal-China floods surpasses 1,000

Death toll from catastrophic Nepal-China floods surpasses 1,000 SHRISTI KAFLE AND SHEIKH SAALIQ KATHMANDU, NEPAL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PUBLISHED 3 HOURS AGO UPDATED 37 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: A Nepal flag lies on a muddy track near the banks of the Trishuli river in Dhading District, Nepal, Sunday, Aug. 30. NIRANJAN SHRESTHA/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. Rescue teams with search dogs combed through mud, rocks and debris Tuesday in Nepal and China looking for thousands of people still missing after catastrophic flooding tore through communities across the Himalayas, leaving more than 1,000 dead. Nepal’s disaster agency said Tuesday that 987 deaths had been counted there, with 3,916 people missing, including 583 foreigners. Chinese authorities, in their latest update on Sunday, reported 16 deaths and 546 people still missing, including 261 foreigners. The scale of last week’s disaster was hampering rescue efforts in both regions, with landslides, destroyed roads and widespread damage cutting off remote areas. Crews faced challenging conditions as they searched unstable terrain and piles of debris, raising fears the death toll could rise as rescuers reach isolated communities. In Nepal, rescuers were racing to reach hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower projects damaged by the floods. About 900 workers are missing from 12 projects, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels, according to Nepalese authorities. Open this photo in gallery: Nepal army soldiers work outside a tunnel near the hydropower project sites in Rasuwa district on Tuesday in this handout photo from the army. NEPAL ARMY/REUTERS Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, Nepal’s army spokesperson, said teams assisted by foreign experts were working at several hydropower projects. Visuals released by the army showed rescue teams entering dark, debris-filled tunnels, wading through mud and water and climbing over rocks as they searched for signs of life. On the Chinese side, rescue crews scoured areas hit by mudslides, particularly around the Gyirong Port border crossing, which was destroyed. Some rescuers, aided by search dogs, searched gaps among rocks and debris for signs of life. Other teams used heavy machinery to clear a major highway leading to Gyirong Port, hoping to clear the way for equipment, personnel…