Nepal-Tibet deluge toll hits 1,000, fresh flood alert as rescuers hunt for survivors
The flash floods in Nepal and Tibet has now killed over 1,000 people as rescue teams battled thick mud, damaged roads and bad weather to reach survivors. A fresh flood warning in several Nepal districts threatened to add to the challenges, potentially disrupting rescue efforts.
The death toll from last week's catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet crossed 1,000 on Tuesday, as rescuers raced to reach survivors and a fresh flood alert threatened to further hamper rescue and relief operations.
Nepal's disaster agency said 987 people had died in the floods, with 3,916 still missing, including 583 foreigners. Chinese authorities, in their latest update, reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing in Tibet's Gyirong County, taking the combined toll to 1,003.
Authorities on Tuesday issued a fresh alert over the risk of floods in several districts, including Nuwakot and Rasuwa, which could hit rescue operations, which continued for the sixth day. Rescuers were racing to reach more than 900 workers feared trapped inside hydropower tunnels for six days, with thick mud, damaged roads and bad weather hampering operations.
The Nepal Army has been using excavators, controlled blasts and searchlights to clear mud and water from blocked tunnels and search for survivors. Rescue teams face particularly difficult conditions in areas where thick mud makes it impossible for helicopters to land safely without remaining on power.
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WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:
So far, 3,916 people are missing in Nepal, while 11,814 have been rescued and 279 people were injured. Of the 987 deaths, Chitwan reported the highest number of fatalities at 321, followed by Nawalparasi East (216), Nawalparasi West (170), Nuwakot (95), Gorkha (65), Dhading (55) and Rasuwa (27).
Officials said 933 workers at 11 projects were believed to be trapped or unaccounted for, including workers inside about half a dozen tunnels in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, two of the flood-hit districts of Nepal. Thick mud and blocked tunnels have made rescue operations extremely difficult.
At the Trishuli 3A hydropower project, rescue work could not begin even on the sixth day. Around 40-42 engineers were working there when the floods struck. At the Trishuli 3B project, 118 workers remain unaccounted for. Nepal Army teams are using controlled blasts, excavators and searchlights to clear mud and water.
In a grim reminder of the scale of the disaster, 23 bodies were recovered from a single house in Betrawati in Nuwakot on Monday morning. In neighbouring India, 13 bodies were pulled from the Gandak river in the border town of Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, including six women and seven men. Preparations are underway to hand over the bodies to Nepal.
Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority issued a fresh flood alert across eastern, central and western parts of the Nepal, urging people living near rivers to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures. The alert covered several districts in eastern and central Nepal, including Taplejung, Solukhumbu, Kathmandu, Dhading and Sindhupalchowk. In western Nepal, Gorkha, Jajarkot, Darchula, Kailali and Kanchanpur were also placed under alert.
Around 350 students are reported missing from Uttargaya village in Nepal's Rasuwa. More than 10,000 people have been rescued from the affected region, including 323 foreign nationals. Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said about 590 foreign nationals from 39 countries were still missing.
The UN said about 65,000 people require emergency water, sanitation and hygiene assistance. More than 22,000 children need protection services, while about 2,600 children under five are expected to need treatment for severe wasting. Around 10,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women also require nutritional support, highlighting the scale of the humanitarian emergency.
The flash floods damaged 19 schools, nine of which were completely destroyed, while eight are being used as shelters for displaced families. More than 10,000 school-age children need psychosocial support, and 107 children may have been separated from parents or caregivers. The UN said family tracing and reunification had become an urgent priority.
Hospitals are witnessing crowds of relatives searching for missing loved ones as authorities struggle to identify recovered bodies. At Pokhara, 102 bodies had been brought from Gorkha, Tanahun, Dhading and Nawalparasi East; 16 were identified and handed over. Many remains are badly decomposed or mutilated, forcing families to rely on photographs, belongings or DNA tests.
One body at a Pokhara hospital was claimed by three families, who each believed they had found a missing relative. DNA testing will be needed to settle the dispute. In other cases, relatives identified victims through a school tie, necklace, earring or tattoo. Nepal has sought DNA kits, while 18 Indian forensic experts are assisting with identification.