The death toll from devastating floods and landslides along the Nepal-China border has risen to 750, while more than 3,000 people remain missing as rescue teams continue efforts to locate survivors.
The disaster struck on Wednesday after the collapse of a glacier and surrounding terrain triggered a massive surge of ice, rocks and debris that swept through communities and infrastructure in Nepal and China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
Nepal’s disaster authorities reported 734 deaths, with 2,498 people still unaccounted for. In Tibet, 16 deaths had been confirmed, while another 546 people were reported missing, bringing the combined number of missing people to 3,044.
Experts have linked the disaster to a glacial and bedrock collapse near Langtang Lirung, which generated a huge debris flow that travelled more than 20 kilometres before reaching Gyirong in Tibet.
In Nepal, soldiers and engineers continued rescue operations at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric project, where workers are believed to be trapped inside a tunnel.
Rescuers successfully inserted a pipe into the tunnel and began pumping air through a small opening in an effort to reach those trapped inside. However, continued rainfall and rising river levels have complicated the operation.
Authorities have warned rescue teams to remain cautious because of the risk of further flooding.
The scale of the disaster has also raised concerns over thousands of people working in Nepal’s hydropower sector. The country’s disaster authority said 933 hydropower workers were among those reported missing.
Foreign nationals are also among those unaccounted for. Nepal said 589 foreigners, including trekkers and Hindu pilgrims travelling towards Tibet’s Mount Kailash, remained missing.
The Isha Foundation, led by Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru, said 80 members of its group had travelled to the affected area. The organisation said there were no encouraging indications of survivors around an immigration office where some of the pilgrims were believed to have been caught.
Survivors and relatives have continued searching desperately for missing family members as entire settlements along the affected rivers were destroyed.
International assistance has begun arriving as Nepal struggles to respond to the scale of the catastrophe. Several countries and international organisations have pledged millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance and emergency funding.
Nepal’s authorities have appealed for specialised equipment, including heavy-lift drones, forensic kits for identifying bodies and freezer units for storing human remains.
Authorities are also monitoring the risk of additional flooding. The enormous volume of debris has created temporary lakes in parts of the affected region, raising fears that further water releases could trigger another surge downstream.
Chinese and Nepali authorities have agreed to share satellite and hydrological information as they monitor the situation.
In Tibet, rescue operations around the worst-hit Gyirong area were temporarily suspended over concerns about a newly formed lake. Chinese authorities later reported that the lake was naturally draining, easing fears of an immediate major outburst flood.
More than 2,100 rescuers have been deployed around Gyirong, while stranded tourists and residents have been evacuated from affected areas.
The disaster has also affected neighbouring India, where seven bodies believed to have been carried downstream from Nepal were recovered from rivers.
As rescue operations continue, authorities on both sides of the border remain focused on locating survivors, recovering victims and preventing further flooding in the mountainous region.
About the Author
