At least 20 workers were trapped in a tunnel after a torrential downpour in a remote Indian Himalayan region on Sunday as waters receded in other parts of South Asia after the worst flooding in 15 years.
Police officials said the construction workers, hired to build a tunnel for a power project, became stuck after their exit was blocked in Kullu district in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, some 500 km (300 miles) north of New Delhi.
"Twenty labourers are trapped in a tunnel due to falling debris caused by a cloudburst. Rescue operations are under way, but we have not been able to reach the workers," A.K. Puri, director general of police in Himachal Pradesh, told Reuters.
Officials said the flood water caused extensive damage to the power project and much of its equipment was washed away. "The tunnel is filled with silt and debris. We are yet to reach them and rescue efforts are going on. Paramilitary personnel are assisting us in rescuing the workers," said Inder Singh Bhardwaj, a district official.