Nearly 2,500 people are considered missing after devastating flash floods in a mountainous region on the Nepal-China border, where large-scale search-and-rescue operations are underway. At least 579 people have died, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
Details
According to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 1,924 people remain missing. They include hundreds of citizens of India, Malaysia, Australia, and the United States. The number of missing people is nearly twice as high as previous estimates.
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Chinese authorities separately reported seven deaths and 554 people missing. Search teams continue to inspect affected areas near the border with Nepal.
About 15,000 people have been involved in the rescue operation
The disaster was caused by a glacial collapse on Wednesday, after which torrents of water, ice, rocks, and mud surged down the valley. The force of nature destroyed settlements, demolished bridges, and swept away vehicles, trees, and boulders.
The number of flood victims on the Nepal–China border has already exceeded 50028.08.26, 15:12
Nepal mobilized about 15,000 people to carry out rescue operations. Searches are continuing, including in settlements covered by a thick layer of mud and at hydropower facilities, where some workers became trapped in tunnels.
Rescue operation
Rescuers’ work is being hampered by difficult-to-access mountainous terrain and the threat of new floods. The accumulation of mud and debris in rivers has created unstable lakes that could burst, so residents of areas along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers have been urged to remain in safe places.
According to an estimate by the Nepalese authorities, recovery from the disaster will require at least several billion dollars. The disaster damaged dozens of bridges, about 80 km of the road to the border with China, as well as hydropower facilities with a total capacity of approximately 700 MW.