KATHMANDU — The death toll from devastating flash floods and landslides in Nepal and China’s Tibet region has risen to 750, while more than 3,000 people remain missing, according to the latest figures released Sunday.
In Nepal, 2,498 people remain unaccounted for, including hundreds of foreign nationals. Chinese authorities, meanwhile, have reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing in Tibet.
Search and rescue operations are continuing across Nepal for those still missing, including 933 workers from hydropower projects, 589 foreign nationals, 127 Nepalis traveling with foreign tourists and residents from several affected districts.
Nearly 20,000 security personnel have been deployed, rescuing 8,186 people so far. Helicopter operations have evacuated 279 hydropower workers and 227 foreign nationals to safety.
Relief efforts are also underway, with food and essential supplies being distributed, medical teams deployed and government cash assistance provided to affected communities, according to Nepal News.
The disaster struck the China-Nepal border region on Wednesday after a sudden glacial collapse sent a powerful surge of water and debris through Himalayan valleys, destroying villages and severely damaging infrastructure.
Authorities are now facing mounting challenges in identifying the dead as hospital mortuaries reach capacity and recovered remains begin to decompose.
Deputy Inspector General Abi Narayan Kafle, spokesperson for Nepal Police, said many bodies had been carried long distances by floodwaters, making identification especially difficult.
He said many recovered remains were mutilated, partial or severed and had been buried under mud and water for several days.
Search operations have also been hampered by rugged terrain, steep mountains and narrow gorges.
Nepal has sought specialized international assistance for tunnel rescues, survivor-detection technology, forensic and DNA analysis, as well as equipment to preserve recovered bodies. An 11-member tunnel rescue reconnaissance team from India has already arrived to assist.
The United States announced more than $3.6 million in humanitarian assistance for flood-hit Nepal on Saturday, including emergency food aid for up to 10,000 affected households.
Authorities have also been monitoring a newly formed Himalayan lake that raised concerns about a possible second flood.
Chinese officials said the lake had significantly shrunk and was now “essentially drained” after releasing its water naturally, reducing the immediate threat of another surge.
Source: Saudi Gazette