The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Nepal and China’s Tibet region has risen to 804, while nearly 3,300 people remain missing as rescue teams continue searching through badly affected areas along the Himalayan border.
Nepal accounts for 788 of the confirmed deaths, with 2,742 people still missing, including hundreds of foreign nationals. In Tibet, Chinese authorities have reported 16 deaths and 546 missing.
As the search continues, local sources said rescue teams are looking for 2,498 people, including 933 hydropower project workers, 589 foreign nationals and 127 Nepalis travelling with foreign tourists.
Nearly 20,000 security personnel have been deployed in the response, rescuing 8,186 people so far. Helicopters have also evacuated 279 hydropower workers and 227 foreign nationals to safety. Meanwhile, relief teams continue to distribute food and essential supplies, provide medical assistance and deliver government cash aid.
The disaster struck the China-Nepal border region on Wednesday when a sudden glacial collapse sent a powerful surge of water and debris through Himalayan valleys, sweeping through villages and damaging major infrastructure.
The scale of the destruction has made recovery and identification efforts particularly difficult. Nepal Police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Abi Narayan Kafle told the Kathmandu Post that floodwaters had carried bodies over long distances, while many remains were recovered in fragmented condition after being buried under mud and water for several days.
Steep mountains, narrow gorges and rugged terrain further hampered rescue operations. Nepal has therefore sought specialised support for tunnel rescues, survivor-detection technology, forensic and DNA analysis, and equipment to preserve recovered remains. An 11-member tunnel rescue reconnaissance team from India has already arrived to assist.
Meanwhile, fears of another major surge have eased after Chinese officials said a newly formed lake in the Himalayas had significantly shrunk and was now essentially drained following the natural release of its water.
International assistance is also being mobilised, with the United States announcing more than US$3.6 million in humanitarian aid for flood-hit Nepal, including emergency food assistance for up to 10,000 affected households.
