The death toll from devastating floods and landslides along the Nepal-China border has risen to 750, while more than 3,000 people remain missing as rescue operations entered their fifth day on Sunday.
Nepal’s disaster management authorities said 734 people had been confirmed dead, while 2,498 remained unaccounted for.
Chinese state media reported that 16 people had died in Tibet, with another 546 missing. The figures bring the combined death toll in Nepal and Tibet to 750, with 3,044 people still missing.
The disaster struck on Wednesday after a torrent of water, ice and debris swept through communities and hydropower projects along rivers in the Himalayan region.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said the number of missing people had increased from 2,426 reported in its previous update on Saturday evening.
The list includes 589 foreign nationals, up from 517 previously reported missing or out of contact.
The authority also said 933 workers employed at hydropower projects along rivers affected by the disaster were missing.
Rescue teams have so far rescued or recovered 8,186 people in Nepal, including 227 foreign nationals.
In neighbouring India, authorities said seven bodies had been recovered from rivers flowing from Nepal and were believed to be victims of the floods. The deaths have not been included in Nepal’s official toll.
More Than 100 Workers Trapped in Hydropower Tunnels
More than 100 workers are believed to be trapped inside several hydropower tunnels in Nepal.
Nepali Army personnel inserted a pipe into one of the tunnels at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric project late Saturday and began pumping air into the facility, according to Minister Sudan Gurung.
However, overnight rainfall and rising river levels hampered rescue operations, prompting Nepal’s disaster authorities to warn rescue teams to exercise caution.
The trapped workers are among the 933 hydropower employees reported missing from projects along rivers affected by the floods and landslides.
India has deployed an 11-member specialised rescue team to assist with the operation, while China has sent a nine-member tunnel rescue team.
New Lake Complicates Rescue Efforts
Rescue operations have also been complicated by the formation of a new lake near the Nepal-Tibet border following a landslide on Saturday evening.
China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, reported that a new barrier lake was forming about 2.8 kilometres (1.74 miles) from a previously drained lake that had threatened rescue efforts in recent days.
Rescue personnel near the Gyirong border port were moved to safer locations, while China’s Ministry of Emergency Management convened experts to assess the situation.
Tibet has remained largely inaccessible to foreign journalists, making independent verification of the scale of the disaster there difficult.
CCTV reported that 16 people had died and 546 remained missing in Tibet, including 261 foreign nationals.
