Key facts
- Catastrophic flash floods in Nepal and China have killed over 600 people and left thousands missing.
- Search and rescue operations are ongoing, but hampered by weather and difficult terrain.
- A new glacial lake formed by the collapse has begun to overflow, posing a new flood threat.
- Nepal's death toll has reached 626, with 2,426 people missing in the country.
- China reports seven deaths and 554 missing people.
- Over 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal.
Search and rescue efforts continued Saturday for thousands missing after catastrophic flash floods devastated areas along the Nepal-China border, as a new threat emerged from a glacial lake that formed after the initial disaster.
Poor weather temporarily hampered aerial rescue operations on Saturday, but flights resumed in some areas, carrying aid and evacuating survivors. In Nuwakot district, one of the hardest-hit areas, helicopters delivered supplies and brought people to relief centers. Many evacuees arrived with only the clothes they were wearing.
Rescue workers are facing difficult conditions, with up to 1.5 meters of mud in some areas, and limited landing spots for helicopters. Authorities are on high alert for further flooding from a new lake created by a glacier collapse that triggered Wednesday's disaster. Experts warned the lake was beginning to overflow, though monitoring data from China's Ministry of Water Resources indicated the water level had dropped by 10 meters from its peak.
On the Chinese side, search efforts are ongoing at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project and the Gyirong border crossing. Hundreds of missing people are believed to be foreigners working in the region, trekking, or on pilgrimages.
Nepal's death toll has risen to 626, with 2,426 people missing. China has reported seven deaths and 554 missing. Over 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal.