The death toll from catastrophic floods and mudslides along the Nepal-China border has surpassed 1,000, with thousands of people still missing as rescue teams continue searching through debris and unstable terrain.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Nepal’s disaster agency said on Tuesday that 1,003 people had died, while 3,916 remained missing, including 583 foreign nationals.
China reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people, including 261 foreigners.
The disaster struck on August 26 after a glacial collapse in the Himalayas sent huge volumes of rock, ice and meltwater into valleys, triggering devastating floods and mudslides across communities in Nepal and Tibet.
Rescuers search for missing hydropower workers
Rescue teams are racing to reach hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower projects damaged by the floods.
Local authorities said about 900 workers are missing from 12 hydropower projects, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped inside tunnels.
Nepal Army teams, assisted by foreign experts, have been deployed to several sites. Images released by the army showed rescuers entering mud- and debris-filled tunnels while searching for survivors.
On the Chinese side, rescue crews have focused on areas hit by mudslides, particularly around the Gyirong Port border crossing, which was destroyed.
Search teams, including those using trained dogs, have been examining gaps between rocks and debris for signs of life, while heavy machinery is being used to clear the highway leading to the border crossing.
Dozens of unidentified bodies buried in Kathmandu
In Kathmandu, police on Tuesday buried dozens of unidentified bodies in multiple trenches beside a forested area as heavy rain continued.
Authorities placed numbered markers at the temporary graves while preserving DNA samples, photographing distinguishing facial features and recording other identifying details.
Each body has been assigned a reference number to help families identify and claim the remains.
More than 11,800 people rescued
Nepalese authorities said at least 11,814 people have been rescued so far.
Helicopters and other aircraft have been deployed to reach communities cut off after floods and landslides destroyed roads and bridges.
China has also expanded its relief assistance to Nepal. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said a second batch of supplies would include drones, DNA-testing equipment and water-purification equipment.
Chinese DNA-testing experts will also assist Nepal with identifying bodies.
Bimal Sharma, a helicopter pilot involved in rescue and relief missions, described the devastation in Timure, a border town near Tibet.
“It felt like I was flying over an entirely different landscape,” Sharma said.
He added: “I can see the pain in their eyes. It’s heartbreaking.”
Scientists link disaster to glacial collapse
Scientists studying satellite imagery said the glacial collapse appeared to involve the failure of bedrock beneath a glacier in the Himalayan region.
The rockfall was powerful enough to register as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event, sending a surge of water and debris into rivers flowing through valleys in Tibet and Nepal.
The rapidly rising floodwaters swept away homes, buildings, roads and bridges, carrying mud and rocks downstream.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the disaster underscored the growing risks posed by climate change.
“This incident has indicated that the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing with climate change,” Shah said in a social media post on Monday night.
“Therefore, this region must be alert, and at the same time, it is time for us to strongly raise the issue of disasters caused by climate change before the international community.”
Rescue operations remain ongoing, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise as teams reach isolated communities and search through areas devastated by landslides and floods.
