Kathmandu: The death toll from flash floods and mudslides in the Himalayas jumped above 1,000 on Tuesday, a week after the natural disaster struck the border region between Nepal and China, according to official data.
According to Philippines News Agency, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) reported that search and rescue teams confirmed 84 more fatalities. This brings the death toll on the Nepalese side of the border to 987, with 3,916 people, including 583 foreigners, still missing. Among the missing are 639 personnel deployed at hydropower stations.
Chinese authorities have confirmed 16 deaths, and the search continues for 546 missing individuals, including 261 foreigners. Combined data from both countries indicate that the death toll has reached 1,003, with 4,462 people, including 844 foreigners, still unaccounted for.
The disaster occurred on August 26 when a glacier on Nepal's Mount Langtang Lirung fractured at an altitude of about 5,200 meters. This triggered an ice-rock avalanche that developed into a massive debris flow, sweeping through valleys along the border. The surge of water and mudslides devastated areas in Nepal such as Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Kavre, and the Kathmandu Valley, while burying the Gyirong border crossing in southwestern Tibet, also known as the Xizang Autonomous Region, on the Chinese side.
Most of the missing foreigners are from India, with 275 Indian nationals and 100 Chinese nationals reported missing. In response to the rising number of bodies, Nepal has requested freezers, DNA testing kits, remote-sensing technology, and drones to map the disaster-affected areas. China, South Korea, and India have dispatched teams to aid in the search and rescue operations.
Challenges persist due to rough terrain, damaged roads, and critical infrastructure, which complicate communication efforts. Chinese state media interviews with search and rescue teams revealed that after a 10-hour trek, they reached the Gyirong border crossing but found no signs of buildings or infrastructure on the Chinese side of the border.
