Authorities intensified rescue efforts after catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet resulted in at least 900 deaths and left more than 4,700 people missing.
“We are working in search and rescue of the stranded people from hills, settlements and river areas,” stated Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, spokesman for Nepal’s army.
Several foreign teams were also assisting local rescuers in locating trapped workers within hydropower tunnels. Officials report that at least 90 individuals are currently trapped across multiple hydropower plant tunnels.
Nepal’s disaster agency reported on Monday that 903 deaths had been recorded in the country, with 4,247 people missing, including 592 foreigners. As of Sunday, Chinese authorities documented 16 fatalities and 546 missing persons, while Chinese state media indicated that 261 of those missing were foreigners, among them over one hundred Nepalis.
The flash floods began on Wednesday following a glacial collapse in the high Himalayan region. Scientists analyzing satellite imagery determined that bedrock beneath a glacier in the Himalayas had collapsed, carrying part of the glacier with it. The rockfall was severe enough to register as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event.
Subsequently, rocks and melted water swelled the rivers in the valleys below, generating a torrent of water that swept buildings, bridges, and earth downstream through Tibet and Nepal.