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Scope of devastation in Nepal continues to grow

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

In Nepal, the search continues for survivors after last week's flash floods, and the scope of the devastation continues to grow.

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

According to Nepal's disaster agency, the death toll in the country is now in the 900s. That's a sharp rise from previous figures.

KELLY: One of the survivors is Kajiman Tamang. He told NPR that last Wednesday, he was cutting grass along the river when he got a call from his sister warning him of the floods.

KAJIMAN TAMANG: (Through interpreter) We were able to save our lives. That's the big thing for us. All the people were shouting, but I'm thankful that I was able to save my and my family's life. Everything else is destroyed.

KELLY: For now, Tamang is living in a water buffalo shelter with his family and his buffaloes.

CHANG: Nepal's army has deployed nearly 9,000 personnel in the search for survivors, including at hydropower sites in the country. Many are still trapped in flooded tunnels dug deep into the mountainside. Though hundreds of hydropower workers have been rescued, an executive from Nepal's Independent Power Producers' Association told NPR that the country does not have, quote, "enough technology, equipment and expertise" to mount successful rescue operation at hydropower projects. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Mallory Yu is an associate producer for All Things Considered.

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