New Delhi: The death toll from catastrophic flash floods in Nepal and Tibet has reached 750, while more than 3,000 people remain missing as rescue teams face the threat of further flooding.
Chinese authorities on Sunday reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people in Tibet. Of those missing, 261 are foreign nationals. Nepal has reported 734 deaths and 2,498 missing people.
The missing foreign nationals included 104 Nepalis, 49 Indians, 33 Latvians, 18 Americans, and 15 British citizens, according to theguardian.com.
More than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal so far. However, rescue operations remain difficult as authorities warn of rising water levels in several rivers.
A breakthrough came late Saturday when the Nepali Army inserted a pipe into a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric project. Workers are believed to be trapped inside the tunnel.
Home Minister Sudan Gurung said air had already been sent through the opening and excavation work would begin to allow rescue teams to enter the tunnel.
More than 100 workers are feared to remain trapped in tunnels at hydropower projects. Rescue teams are focusing particularly on the Trishuli 3A and Trishuli 3B sites.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority issued a warning on Sunday after receiving information that flood flow in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa had increased further. The authority urged rescue teams to remain cautious.
The disaster has severely affected an area with extensive hydropower infrastructure. Nepal’s disaster authority has listed 933 hydropower workers among those missing. Trekkers and Hindu pilgrims travelling towards Tibet’s Mount Kailash are also among those unaccounted for.
Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Nepal could face a reconstruction bill running into billions of dollars. He stressed that the immediate priority remained rescuing survivors and saving as many lives as possible.
Khanal also sought specialised international assistance, including heavy-lift drones and technology capable of locating people trapped beneath debris. He further called for forensic testing kits to help identify recovered bodies and freezer units to preserve them.
The flash floods sent huge volumes of ice and mud through affected areas and created large water bodies. One of the newly formed lakes has emerged as a potential source of further flooding.
The foreign ministers of Nepal and China spoke on Saturday and discussed sharing satellite and hydrological data to support rescue and disaster management efforts.
In Tibet, rescue operations at the worst-hit area of Gyirong were temporarily suspended because of concerns over further flooding from a newly formed lake.
