The death toll from the devastating floods near the Nepal-China border has risen sharply as rescue operations entered their fifth day, with at least 750 people now confirmed dead across Nepal and Tibet.
Nepal’s disaster authority said on Sunday that 734 people had been killed and 2,498 remained missing in the country. Meanwhile, Chinese state media reported that 16 people had died and 546 were missing in Tibet.
The combined death toll has therefore reached 750, while the total number of people still unaccounted for stands at 3,044.
Nepal’s Missing List Continues to Grow
The number of people reported missing in Nepal increased from 2,426 in the previous update issued on Saturday evening to 2,498.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the missing include 589 foreign nationals, up from the 517 previously reported as being out of contact.
The disaster has also affected 933 workers involved in hydropower projects along the river system through which the destructive torrent swept.
Despite extremely difficult conditions, rescue teams have so far saved 8,186 people, including 227 foreign nationals.
Meanwhile, authorities in neighbouring India said seven bodies believed to be those of flood victims had been recovered from rivers flowing from Nepal. However, those deaths have not been included in the official toll.
Hundreds of Foreign Nationals Missing in Tibet
Chinese authorities said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries remained missing on the Tibetan side of the border.
Officials said the largest number of missing foreign nationals was from Nepal, with 104 Nepalese citizens still unaccounted for. The missing also included 49 Indians, 33 Latvians, 18 Americans and 15 Britons.
Chinese authorities said foreign missions had been informed about the missing nationals.
The disaster struck on Wednesday after a glacier collapse triggered a massive torrent of ice, rocks, mud and debris that raced through Himalayan river valleys and settlements.
Nepal Seeks Technical Help as Devastating Floods Disrupt Rescue Efforts
Rising Water Levels Create Fresh Danger
The situation remains dangerous for both survivors and rescue workers.
Local police told Reuters that residents and emergency teams had moved to higher ground after water levels in the nearby Trishuli River rose again.
The development has raised concerns about further flooding and could complicate ongoing search and rescue operations.
Authorities have warned that unstable water systems and damaged mountain terrain continue to pose a serious threat in the disaster-hit region.
China Links Disaster to Global Warming
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the disaster was caused by glacier instability linked to the long-term effects of global warming.
The broadcaster described such incidents as an increasingly prominent feature of disasters affecting the cryosphere — the frozen regions of the planet — on the Tibetan Plateau.
Chinese scientists found that it took approximately six to seven minutes for the massive mudslide originating on the Nepalese side to reach the Gyirong border crossing.
Surveillance footage showed powerful torrents of water and debris engulfing buildings as people attempted to flee.
Massive Rescue Operation Underway
China has mobilised more than 2,100 emergency rescue workers and allocated at least 220 million yuan, or $32.7 million, for disaster relief efforts.
Beijing is also providing Nepal with emergency financial assistance, relief supplies, satellite and hydrological data, as well as tunnel rescue specialists.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi described the incident as the most severe cross-border disaster in recent years during a telephone conversation with his Nepalese counterpart.
The two countries are working together to locate missing citizens and foreign nationals, identify victims and strengthen cooperation on disaster prevention and climate-related risks.
The Red Cross estimates that more than 90,000 people may have been affected by the disaster.
As rescue operations continue, authorities face the difficult task of reaching isolated areas, locating thousands of missing people and managing the risk of further flooding in one of the Himalayan region’s most challenging cross-border disaster zones.
