More than 2,400 people are now reported missing in Nepal and China following a devastating disaster that sent a tsunami-like surge of water, ice and debris through villages, killing hundreds and leaving widespread destruction.
Rescue teams have recovered at least 586 bodies so far, with some victims reportedly swept downstream into India. Despite the rising death toll, rescuers continue searching through thick mud and damaged areas for survivors.
Nepal’s disaster authority has expanded its missing persons list to include 933 workers from hydropower projects, adding to the trekkers, tourists and pilgrims already unaccounted for, including those travelling towards Tibet’s sacred Mount Kailash.
The scale of the tragedy has left families desperately searching for information about their loved ones. Hospitals in Kathmandu have been crowded with relatives, while posters displaying photographs and names of missing people cover walls in the hope that someone will recognise them.
“Today is the third day and we don’t know anything. Hopefully he is in a safe place. We lost everything. He is our everything,” said 27-year-old Samjhana Thing, whose brother remains missing.
The United States Geological Survey said the disaster was triggered by a glacial collapse that sent a massive flow of ice and debris downstream. It is considered Nepal’s deadliest disaster since the 2015 earthquake.
The enormous flow of ice and mud also created several large lakes, one of which has now become a serious threat to rescuers operating in the affected region.
Nepalese police ordered rescue personnel to immediately move to safer locations after receiving reports that another water barrier had broken on the Tibetan side.
In Tibet, Chinese authorities temporarily suspended rescue operations in the worst-hit area of Gyirong on Friday because of concerns over renewed flooding. The situation later appeared to improve.
China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported that a lake created by huge amounts of debris had begun overflowing towards areas where rescue teams were operating. However, the water level subsequently fell, allowing rescue operations to resume in an orderly manner.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who chaired a meeting on the rescue response, also offered China’s assistance to Nepal in dealing with the disaster.
Rescue Teams Race To Reach Trapped Workers
Emergency personnel are continuing to search devastated areas, where supplies of food and clean water are becoming increasingly scarce.
The Nepalese military located people trapped inside a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project and is working to establish access routes to bring them out.
Army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet said two helicopters had been deployed, but rescuers were struggling to locate the tunnel entrances because of the extensive damage.
Around 350 workers and residents had been brought to safety from the site, while efforts were continuing to rescue more than 100 people still trapped in the area.
Survivors from other hydropower projects along the Trishuli valley described how quickly the disaster struck.
Buddha Tamang said he survived because he was inside a tunnel at the dam where he worked when the flood hit.
“The senior officers working on the other side, they were all swept away,” he told AFP after being airlifted to safety on Thursday following more than 24 hours stranded at the site.
Families Plead For News Of Missing Loved Ones
At a makeshift hospital in Nepal, survivors and families continue to endure an agonising wait for information.
Kula Priya, whose eldest son remains missing, said the disaster had taken everything from her.
“I don’t care for wealth. I just want my son back. If any of you could rescue my son, please do it for me,” she told AFP.
Nepal reported 579 deaths on Friday, while the disaster authority said 1,924 people, including 517 foreigners, remained out of contact in the country. The previous missing figure had stood at 977.
In neighbouring India, authorities recovered seven bodies from rivers flowing from Nepal, with the victims believed to have been caught in the floods.
Meanwhile, Xinhua reported that seven people had died and 554 remained missing in Tibet. Authorities said 555 stranded tourists and 499 Chinese residents had been evacuated from affected areas.
Pilgrims Among Those Still Missing
The disaster has also affected large numbers of Hindu pilgrims travelling towards Mount Kailash in Tibet, a major religious destination.
Sivaranjani Muthunathan, 46, was travelling by bus with 56 others towards the Chinese border when their journey came to a sudden halt.
What initially appeared to be a traffic jam quickly turned into a life-threatening situation as fog and smoke surrounded the area before a powerful torrent surged towards them.
Vehicles nearby were swept away or buried beneath mud, forcing the passengers to escape through the driver’s side and scramble towards higher ground.
The ongoing rescue effort remains complicated by destroyed roads, unstable terrain, continuing weather risks and the possibility of further flooding, leaving authorities racing against time to locate those still missing.
