Nepal floods leave 500 workers trapped in tunnels as 43 Australians remain missing amid China disaster

Rescuers in Nepal are racing against time to reach hundreds of workers feared trapped inside massive hydropower tunnels as the scale of the catastrophic flooding across the Himalayan region continues to grow.

More than 950 people have now been killed across Nepal and China, while more than 4,400 remain missing, including 43 Australians whose whereabouts remain unknown.

In Nepal, attention has turned to hydropower projects devastated by the flash floods, with a private-sector association representing power companies reporting at least 900 workers remain unaccounted for across 12 sites in the Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.

About 500 of those workers are believed to be trapped underground in tunnels used to control the flow of water.

Four bodies have now been recovered from three mud-filled tunnels, according to Nepal’s army, as rescuers desperately try to reach those who could still be alive.

NSW man Michael Keats has become the first Australian confirmed to have lost his life in Nepal’s flash flood disaster.

He was travelling to India for a spiritual retreat, according to his heartbroken family, which is now asking for support.

His partner Emily Boyd posted a grim update to her GoFundMe, confirming the worst on Monday evening.

“My partner, Michael, was tragically killed in the devastating floods in Nepal,” Ms Boyd posted.

“Michael was my partner and an incredibly important part of our family. He was also my young son’s stepfather, although he was the only father he has ever known. His loss has changed everything for both of us.”

In her crowdfunding post , Ms Boyd said she was asking for funds to travel to India with the couple’s son to engage in a spiritual ritual to honour the South Coast man.

“There’s a bittersweetness knowing that there was nothing more that Mike wanted (than) to know God, and to merge with the divine,” Ms Boyd posted to Instagram.

“He was a mystic, a medicine man, a teacher, leader, partner, father, brother, son, uncle and dearly beloved friend.”

Some workers were able to make calls for help when the disaster struck last Wednesday, while survivors who escaped told authorities and relatives that many of their colleagues remained underground.