Nepal has temporarily suspended search and rescue operations in some of the worst-hit areas because of heavy rain and poor visibility, while the government has appealed for specialised international assistance to deal with the aftermath of devastating floods near the border with Tibet.
The Himalayan country, home to around 30 million people, is also facing enormous reconstruction costs. Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle told Reuters that the initial estimate for rebuilding damaged infrastructure and communities could range between $4 billion and $5 billion, although a detailed assessment of the losses is still under way.
The disaster, triggered by a glacier collapse on Wednesday, sent a huge torrent of rocks, ice, mud and debris through mountain river systems. At least 626 people have been killed in Nepal and seven in Tibet, while thousands remain unaccounted for.
Bad Weather Forces Temporary Rescue Suspension
Narendra Pariyar, the senior government official in the severely affected Rasuwa district, said search and rescue activities had been temporarily halted because of rain and fog.
Authorities are now also focusing on transporting rescued people, including pilgrims, by land to Kathmandu.
Rescue operations had briefly been suspended on Friday as well after a lake formed near the Nepal-China border began overflowing into the Lhende Khola and Trishuli rivers.
Officials are closely monitoring two upstream lakes because of the continuing flood threat. Authorities have warned that the danger may remain until both lakes drain completely.
China’s state-run Xinhua reported that one of the lakes was shrinking. However, a Chinese geohazards expert cautioned that it could remain unstable. More than 100 glacial lakes in the wider region could also pose risks.
Nepal Requests Specialised Technical Assistance
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the country was not seeking general search and rescue assistance but needed specialised technical support in several critical areas.
These include rescuing people trapped inside tunnels, restoring transport and communication links in areas where bridges have been destroyed, identifying bodies, conducting DNA testing and providing facilities for storing bodies for longer periods.
Nepal Flood Disaster Leaves Over 160 Dead as Hundreds Remain Missing
Khanal said Nepal had already requested technical assistance in areas where it lacked sufficient expertise and specialised equipment.
The need for such support has become particularly urgent because the disaster has destroyed roads, bridges and other vital infrastructure, making access to isolated communities extremely difficult.
Thousands Still Missing
The scale of the disaster remains unclear as rescue teams struggle to reach remote areas.
Nearly 3,000 people are still missing, including around 2,426 in Nepal and at least 558 in Tibet’s Gyirong County. At least 540 of those reported missing are foreigners, many of them believed to be Hindu pilgrims from India.
Authorities in China are also conducting an extensive search for more than 500 missing people in areas affected by the floods.
In Tibet, rescuers reached the badly damaged Gyirong border crossing complex on Friday after travelling through difficult mountainous terrain. Roads leading to the area were destroyed, forcing rescuers to use ropes while crossing forests, valleys and steep cliffs.
Surveillance footage showed powerful torrents of water and debris sweeping through the border complex as people attempted to escape.
India and China Offer Assistance
India has already sent three flights carrying around 60 tonnes of relief supplies to Nepal. The assistance includes blankets, medicines, food and water purification tablets.
New Delhi has also offered to send a tunnel rescue team and medical personnel, while India’s disaster response force, prefabricated bridges and technical teams have been offered to help restore damaged connectivity.
China has called for emergency assistance and international cooperation in rescue efforts in disaster-hit areas of Nepal. Beijing has not yet provided detailed information about the assistance it plans to send.
Reconstruction Bill Could Reach $5 Billion
The immediate priority remains finding survivors and providing assistance to affected communities. However, Nepal is already preparing for a major reconstruction effort.
Finance Minister Wagle said the government’s preliminary estimate suggests that rebuilding could cost between $4 billion and $5 billion. He stressed that the figure remains an estimate because officials are still assessing the full extent of the loss and damage.
The destruction of bridges, roads, power infrastructure and buildings is expected to significantly increase the cost of recovery.
With rescue operations being repeatedly affected by difficult weather and the risk from unstable glacial lakes, Nepal faces a complex emergency in which immediate humanitarian needs and long-term reconstruction will have to be addressed simultaneously.
