The death toll from severe floods along the border between Nepal and Tibet has surpassed 1,000, according to Nepal's disaster management agency. Over 3,900 people are still missing, with more than 600 believed to be trapped in mud-filled tunnels at hydropower sites along the Trishuli River. Engineers have been pumping air into the tunnels in an effort to locate those inside. While a team managed to enter one tunnel, it withdrew after finding no one inside. Families of the missing continue to express hope and concern, with many urging for faster rescue efforts. Nepal’s Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, confirmed that 279 people have been rescued so far. The rescue operation is being led by an international team of Chinese and Nepalese military personnel, with support from experts in India, Korea, and Australia. Sita Pandey, whose husband was working at a hydropower plant when the floods hit, said she still holds hope for his survival, citing the presence of an oxygen system in the tunnels. Nepal relies heavily on hydropower projects, many of which are located in mountainous regions. At least 11 such projects, either completed or under construction, have been damaged by the floods. Rescuers began pumping air into tunnels over the weekend, but families of the missing say the effort should have started earlier. A team entered one tunnel leading to a hydropower plant on Monday but left after finding no one. Jiban Khadka, whose relative is trapped inside, said the slow pace of the operation is heartbreaking. "The longer it takes, the more our hope dies," he said. Prime Minister Shah acknowledged the situation as "not an ordinary" event, emphasizing the increasing risks in the Himalayan region due to climate change. He called for international attention to the growing disaster risks faced by the region. Australian engineer Arnold Dix, assisting with the rescue efforts remotely, described the challenges of locating the tunnels, which have been largely erased by the floods. "It looks like a lunar landscape," he said, noting the massive boulders that need to be moved to access the sites. Despite the daunting conditions, Dix expressed hope that the subterranean environment might have offered some protection to those trapped. Meanwhile, in Chitwan, a district far from the flood epicenter, makeshift burials are taking place as the river systems carried nearly 300 bodies downstream. Only 4% of the 900 bodies found so far have been identified, with authorities using DNA testing to help families identify their loved ones. In Tibet, the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, the second-highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism, held a memorial service as search teams continued to work through waist-high mud. Chinese state media reported a death toll of 16 on the Tibetan side, with 546 missing. However, footage of the floods has been heavily censored in China, and authorities have imposed penalties on those spreading information suggesting higher casualty numbers. In Nepal, authorities have also removed online content they consider misinformation about the floods.