Beijing: China on Friday suggested that the collapse of a high-altitude glacier in Nepal may have triggered a disaster across the border, resulting in at least 480 fatalities. Chinese President Xi Jinping urged officials to make "every effort" to locate all missing Chinese and foreign nationals.
According to Philippines News Agency, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian addressed reporters in Beijing, stating that experts and official institutions from both China and Nepal have made preliminary assessments regarding the cause of the disaster. The flash floods occurred on Wednesday morning, impacting northern and central Nepal as well as China's southern Tibet region.
The floods and landslides swept through communities along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers in Nepal, carrying people and debris downstream. On the Chinese side, mudslides affected Gyirong County in the Xizang Autonomous Region, also known as Tibet. Lin mentioned that the disaster might have been triggered by the collapse of a high-altitude glacier in Nepal.
This statement coincided with the rising death toll from the flash floods, which climbed to 480, with more than 1,200 individuals, predominantly foreign nationals, still missing. The Nepalese police reported 475 deaths from the floods, while China confirmed five fatalities.
On Friday, additional concerns emerged following reports that a large barrier lake, formed during the flash floods, had breached. This raised fears of another water surge into Nepal's Bhotekoshi River, as reported by the Kathmandu Post. Beijing had previously warned that the lake near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers was overflowing and posed a high breach risk.
Preparations were underway to deploy helicopters from Dhunche and Rasuwa for reconnaissance, according to a rescue official at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority noted the rising water levels in the Bhotekoshi River, warning of potential further floods. However, Nepal's Education Minister Sasmita Pokharel assured there was "no immediate major risk," as reported by Online Khabar.
The Foreign Ministry in Kathmandu reported that 596 people from 33 countries remained missing, alongside 127 unaccounted Nepalese nationals, as per the Nepal Tourism Board. In Tibet, 558 individuals, including 260 foreigners, were still missing as search-and-rescue operations continued.
Figures from both Nepal and China indicated that 1,281 people, including 856 foreigners, remained unaccounted for. Lin stated that the details of the missing foreigners were being verified and that relevant countries' embassies had been notified.
Leaders of the ruling Communist Party of China, led by President Xi, met in Beijing on Friday to discuss the situation. They emphasized the need for all relevant authorities to take decisive measures for rescue operations. China also committed to providing emergency aid to the disaster-hit area in Nepal and enhancing international rescue cooperation, as reported by state-run Xinhua News.
The surge in water on Wednesday resulted in flooding in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa, northern Nepal. Flash floods and mudslides devastated the Timure and Syaphrubesi areas before the floodwaters flowed downstream toward the Trishuli River.
