The death toll from the devastating floods near the Nepal-China border rose to over 800 on Sunday. Thousands of people are still missing as rescue officials race against time to locate survivors.
Authorities disclosed that more than 3,000 people are still missing on both sides of the Nepal-China border.
The disaster struck the Gyirong border area in China’s Tibet region and Rasuwa district in northern Nepal, in the Himalayan region.
A torrent of ice, rock, mud and debris swept through the border area on Wednesday, swallowing towns, roads and bridges and causing significant loss of life.
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The US Geological Survey (USGS) said a massive glacier collapse and landslide triggered the disaster.
Nepalese officials linked the glacial collapse to flash floods that occurred on the Nepal side of the Himalayan mountains.
Chinese authorities also disclosed that at least 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries are missing due to the disaster.
They include 104 Nepalis, 49 Indians, and 33 Latvians.
A total of 18 Americans have also been reported missing, alongside 15 Britons, 6 Canadians, 6 Australians, 3 Russians, Malaysians and Germans,
Nepal is a hotspot for climate disasters as the planet heats up. Vast swaths of ice up in the Himalayas are melting, and rocky mountainsides are becoming less solid and more fluid.
Since Wednesday, countries and organisations around the world have been sending aid to Nepal, including UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who pledged £5 million.
After complaints emerged that people were trapped inside the tunnel, the government prioritised deploying a rescue team and has been advancing work to clear the entrance by removing debris and rubble.
The office of the Nepal prime minister said late on Saturday that the rescue teams were exploring every possible option to identify and locate citizens still missing.
“To expedite the digging of the tunnel entrance and the search operations, a joint team of 82 personnel – including 62 from the Nepali Army and 20 from the Armed Police Force Nepal and Nepal Police – has been continuously deployed since last night. However, with adverse weather conditions persisting in the area, the rescue efforts have become quite challenging,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
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According to Nepal’s Foreign Secretary, Amrit Rai, about 19,000 security personnel and 16 helicopters have been mobilised in the search and rescue operations.
Meanwhile, in China, a team of 2,141 rescuers has been deployed to the border area, including more than 500 in the worst-hit areas.
A state broadcaster, CCTV, earlier reported that rescue operations were temporarily paused due to the risk of further flooding from a newly formed lake and resumed after the lake was “discharging naturally” and had been “essentially drained.”
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