Nearly 2,500 people remain missing in Nepal after catastrophic floods and mudslides near the China border, while the combined death toll reaches 750.
KATHMANDU, NEPAL — WEB DESK: The death toll from catastrophic floods and mudslides in Nepal has risen to 734, while 2,498 people remain missing as rescue operations entered their fifth day, according to the country’s disaster authority.
The disaster struck areas near Nepal’s border with China after a torrent of water, ice, rock and debris swept through Himalayan valleys. The scale of the destruction has left thousands missing and severely damaged communities and infrastructure.
Chinese authorities have separately reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people in Tibet, taking the combined death toll from the disaster to 750, with 3,044 people still unaccounted for.
Thousands remain missing
Nepal’s missing-person figure increased from 2,426 in the previous update. The list includes 589 foreigners and 933 workers involved in hydropower projects along the river system affected by the disaster.
Rescue teams have so far rescued 8,186 people in Nepal, including 227 foreigners, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
The situation remains extremely difficult as rescuers work through thick mud, damaged roads and unstable terrain while water levels in some rivers continue to rise.
Foreign nationals among those missing
China said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries remain missing on the Tibetan side of the border.
Among those listed are 104 Nepalis, 49 Indians, 33 Latvians, 18 Americans and 15 Britons, according to Chinese officials. Beijing said foreign missions had been notified about the missing nationals.
Chinese authorities said the disaster in Gyirong County killed 16 people and left 546 missing.
Further flooding threatens rescue operations
The search effort has been complicated by renewed rises in river levels.
Reuters reported that residents and rescue workers moved to higher ground after the Trishuli River rose, highlighting the continuing risk of additional flooding even as teams search for survivors.
In India, authorities have recovered seven bodies from rivers flowing from Nepal. Those bodies have not been included in Nepal’s official death toll because their identities and connection to the disaster remain subject to confirmation.
China links disaster to glacier instability
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the disaster was caused by glacier instability linked to the long-term effects of global warming.
Scientists cited by CCTV said the mudslide took only six to seven minutes to reach the Gyirong border crossing after moving from the Nepalese side. Surveillance footage reportedly showed torrents of water and debris overwhelming buildings as people attempted to escape.
China has deployed more than 2,100 emergency rescue workers and allocated at least 220 million yuan ($32.7 million) for relief efforts. Assistance includes emergency supplies, satellite and hydrological data and tunnel-rescue specialists.
More than 90,000 people affected
The Red Cross estimates that more than 90,000 people have been affected by the disaster.
Authorities in Nepal and China are continuing to coordinate searches for missing people and foreign nationals while also working on relief, disaster prevention and climate-related preparedness.
With thousands still missing and the threat of further flooding, rescue teams face a race against time to reach isolated areas and locate survivors.
