Nepal's hesitance to accept foreign help for flood relief under scrutiny

A drone view of the aftermath of flash flooding along the Trishuli river amidst fresh water surge warning in the Trishuli Bazaar area of Nuwakot district, Nepal, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP hide caption toggle caption Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP MUMBAI, India – As authorities in Nepal scramble to rescue more than 900 workers trapped in hydropower tunnels that are still under construction, a top group of the country's private sector power producers has criticized the government's initial hesitance in accepting help from other countries. The floods and mudslides that were triggered by last week's ice-and-rock avalanche have buried several Himalayan villages in the border region of Nepal and Tibet. In a statement on Monday morning local time, Nepal's disaster management department said 903 people have died and 4,247 are currently considered missing, a sharp rise on the previous figures. At least 85 of those missing are Americans, the State Department said on Sunday. The debris created by the various landslides have also blocked nine hydropower tunnels in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, trapping 933 workers from Nepal, South Korea and Chin...