Rescuers dig 4 bodies from a Nepal hydropower tunnel as families demand answers

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Rescuers in Nepal have recovered four bodies from the tunnel of a hydropower plant as search operations continued for those still missing three weeks after the devastating flash flood last month that killed hundreds and left thousands missing.

Families of the thousands missing, meanwhile, are seeking answers from authorities on their whereabouts.

Nepal's army said that four bodies were recovered Wednesday from the Chilime Hydropower plant, which was situated on the Trishuli River that flooded on Aug. 26.

Nepal's disaster management agency said five more bodies were located in a different location and equipment was being sent to recover them.

The number of bodies that have been recovered since the flooding has reached 1,403 while 6,150 people are still missing, according to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

Families of the missing have been pressuring the government to speed up the rescue and recovery process from the tunnels.

They have held rallies and many have called on the government to declare the missing as dead because they want to receive death certificates, which would allow them to move forward with legal proceedings and religious rites and give them some emotional closure.

At the Tribhuvan University Teaching hospital in Kathmandu, the lobby walls have been pasted with photos of hundreds of missing people. Relatives go there seeking news of their loved ones.

Usha Khatri's husband Indra Bahadur was working as a cook with a group of pilgrims when the flood hit the Nepal-China border. Since then she has been searching for him in many of the towns where the river flows and where bodies have been recovered.

“The government has not done much for us. They have not met us or given any information or any assurances. I am by myself searching for my husband,” Khatri said.

There were 13 hydropower plants that were damaged by the flooding and many workers were either swept or trapped by the raging water or debris.

Finding the workers who were trapped has been a priority for the government and rescuers. But access to the tunnels has been hampered by thick mud, debris and damaged infrastructure, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach the areas.

Two Nepali workers were found alive by rescuers on Sept. 4, days after the flooding. A day later a Chinese worker was pulled out alive from a separate area.

The government estimates the country's reconstruction costs at around $4.78 billion.

In this photo taken with a smartphone, people look at photographs of hundreds of people missing since last month’s floods, posted on a wall by relatives hoping to receive information about them at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP photo/Upendra Man Singh)

In this photo taken with a smartphone, people look at photographs of hundreds of people missing since last month’s floods, posted on a wall by relatives hoping to receive information about them at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP photo/Upendra Man Singh)

In this photo taken with a smartphone, Usha Khatri shows a photo of her husband Indra Bahadur who has been missing since last month's flood outside Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP photo/Upendra Man Singh)

In this handout photograph provided by the Nepal Army, Nepalese soldiers undertake a search and rescue operation at the Chilime hydropower project following earlier flash floods in Nepal's Rasuwa district, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (Nepal Army via AP)

In this handout photograph provided by the Nepal Army, Nepalese soldiers undertake a search and rescue operation at the Chilime hydropower project following earlier flash floods in Nepal's Rasuwa district, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (Nepal Army via AP)

In this handout photograph provided by the Nepal Army, Nepalese soldiers undertake a search and rescue operation at the Chilime hydropower project following earlier flash floods in Nepal's Rasuwa district, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (Nepal Army via AP)

In this handout photograph provided by the Nepal Army, Nepalese soldiers carry the bodies of workers recovered during a search and rescue operation at the Chilime hydropower project following earlier flash floods in Nepal's Rasuwa district, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (Nepal Army via AP)

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Heavy rain caused flooding across parts of northern Vietnam on Thursday, disrupting travel, inundating homes and pushing several rivers above dangerous levels, authorities and state media said.

Rain has fallen across northern and north-central Vietnam this week, with some areas receiving more than 50 centimeters (19.7 inches), according to the disaster prevention department said.

More than 2,000 homes have been submerged, many key transportation routes blocked and more than 1,000 households isolated. Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces, which include lowland and hilly areas south of the capital Hanoi, have been among the hardest hit.

Vietnam is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries and prone to flooding. A series of severe storms last year spurred the country to find new ways to prepare for and manage floods.

In Thanh Hoa province, authorities told students to stay home because flooding had made travel to school dangerous, state media said.

Heavy rains and flooding have submerged or damaged about 10,014 hectares (24,745 acres) of rice and other crops, with the largest losses reported in Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces. Thousands of livestock and poultry also have been killed.

“The flood happens every year,” Ninh Binh resident Tran Ngoc Tai told national broadcaster VTV, adding that people were prepared with fresh water and food.

Many streets in Hanoi were deeply flooded Thursday morning, with water nearly a meter (3.2 feet) deep in some places, disrupting traffic and making it difficult for residents to get to work, take children to school or leave their homes.

Rainfall from Wednesday night to Thursday morning exceeded 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) in some areas, state media said.

Many high schools and universities in Hanoi remained closed or switched to online classes Thursday afternoon as heavy rain caused widespread flooding.

The rising waters of Bui River in the southwest outskirts of Hanoi threatened to flood homes, prompting authorities to deploy hundreds of soldiers to help residents move belongings to higher ground, state media said.

A cold air mass moving south is expected to bring five days of heavy rain to southern Vietnam including flood-prone Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s financial capital, starting Sept. 17, according to the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center.

Forecasters predict widespread rain through Sept. 21. Authorities have warned of flooding in low-lying areas and along waterways. Ho Chi Minh City is forecast to receive 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) of rain, with some areas getting more.

Vietnam experienced repeated severe flooding in 2025. Tropical Storm Wipha brought heavy rain and flooding in July, followed by more flooding and landslides in August when Tropical Storm Kajiki struck. Typhoon Bualoi killed at least 26 in September. In October, the historic cities of Hue and Hoi An in central Vietnam flooded, along with much of northern Vietnam.

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Local residents commute by boat through a flooded village on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026. (Nhat Anh/VNA via AP)

Local residents commute by boat through a flooded village on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026. (Pham Tuan Anh/VNA via AP)

Vietnamese army troops prepare boats for rescue works in flooding areas in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Tran Van Hoang/VNA via AP)