Nepal and China Floods: Death Toll Nears 700 as 3,000 Missing

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Rescue operations entered a critical fourth day as combined death tolls from devastating flash floods along the Nepal-China border climbed to 691, with approximately 3,000 people remaining unaccounted for, according to updates released Sunday by disaster authorities in both countries.

Rising Casualties and Severe Rescue Obstacles in Nepal and Tibet

The disaster, triggered by a sudden glacial collapse identified by the U.S. Geological Survey, sent a massive wall of ice, water, and debris barreling through Himalayan valleys on Wednesday. According to China’s latest update, authorities in Tibet reported 16 deaths and 546 missing persons. Meanwhile, Nepal’s disaster management agency confirmed late Saturday that its national death toll had climbed to 675, with 2,498 people still missing.

Poor weather and treacherous terrain have heavily obstructed aerial rescue efforts. In the heavily impacted Nepali district of Nuwakot, helicopters managed to resume operations before noon on Saturday after temporary suspensions due to adverse weather. According to a Nepali Army official speaking to CBS News, rescue helicopters completed roughly 500 trips per day, managing a combined 15 rotations an hour while transporting supplies such as rice, clothes, instant noodles, and crackers, and evacuating survivors—some on stretchers. Over 3,700 people have been rescued across Nepal to date.

Survivors faced grim conditions as entire settlements near riverbanks were erased. “All the settlements near the river were swept away,” Buddhi Ram Dangol told AFP in Nuwakot. “There is nothing left.” At an army base in Bidur acting as a central hub, relatives gathered around lists of rescued individuals pasted to walls. “I have come here looking for my son,” said Kalka Sharda.

Drilling Into Hydropower Tunnels for Trapped Workers

Rescue teams turned their focus toward underground infrastructure where more than 100 workers are believed trapped inside tunnels at hydropower projects, specifically around the Trishuli 3A and 3B sites. Nepal’s Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha confirmed that rescue efforts were active across multiple tunnel locations.

Photo: yahoo.com

In a breakthrough late Saturday at the Trishuli 3A site, Nepali army personnel broke through four to five feet of mud and successfully inserted a small pipe into a tunnel. Home Minister Sudan Gurung stated that authorities began pumping air through the opening to sustain any survivors while excavation teams prepared to send cameras and rescue personnel inside. Specialized international teams, including Indian “rat-hole” miners skilled in navigating narrow subterranean spaces and expert mountain rescue squads accustomed to high-altitude operations on Everest, joined the effort alongside Chinese specialists.

The disaster heavily impacted the region’s energy workforce and visiting travelers. Nepal’s disaster authority reported 933 hydropower workers among the missing, alongside 517 foreign nationals, including trekkers and Hindu pilgrims heading toward Tibet’s sacred Mount Kailash. The Isha Foundation reported that 80 members of a group trip were visiting the hard-hit Chinese border port of Gyirong, which officials noted was completely washed away.

Hydrological Alerts and International Humanitarian Response

Threats of secondary disasters prompted urgent warnings from local officials. On Sunday morning, Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority issued an alert via Agence France-Presse warning that water levels in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa had risen further. The agency urged residents and rescue personnel in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and Chitwan to exercise strict caution.

Photo: cbsnews.com

In Tibet, Chinese authorities temporarily paused rescue operations at Gyirong over flood risks stemming from a newly formed lake created by the initial debris dam. Foreign ministers from Nepal and China spoke on Saturday to coordinate the sharing of satellite imagery and hydrological data.

Foreign governments stepped up financial and logistical commitments. The U.S. State Department announced Saturday that it is providing more than $3.6 million in humanitarian aid to Nepal, which includes three months of emergency food assistance aimed at supporting up to 10,000 households. This follows an initial pledge of $500,000 made immediately after the disaster.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal warned that the final reconstruction bill could run into billions of dollars, appealing for heavy-lift drones, location technology, freezer units to store recovered bodies, and forensic testing kits. Foreign and domestic authorities remain focused on ongoing excavation at the Trishuli tunnels and managing the escalating flood threats downstream.