Key facts
- Hundreds of people are believed to be trapped inside blocked hydropower project tunnels in Nepal.
- A glacier collapse on the Nepal-Tibet border caused a devastating flood, killing nearly 800 and leaving over 3,000 missing.
- Rescue teams from Nepal, China, and India are working to clear debris and reach those trapped.
- Nepal's disaster management authority reported 933 missing from hydropower projects.
- The flood was linked by China to glacier instability and the effects of climate change.
Nepal's rescue teams, supported by Chinese and Indian experts, are engaged in a critical overnight operation to reach hundreds of individuals believed to be trapped within blocked hydropower project tunnels. This effort follows a catastrophic flood in the Himalayas, triggered by a glacier collapse on the Nepal-Tibet border, which has resulted in nearly 800 confirmed deaths and left over 3,000 people missing. The deluge of ice, rock, and mud carved a path of destruction through valley towns and villages in Nepal and across the border in China.
Officials in Nepal stated that the primary focus is on clearing the mud and rock debris from approximately half a dozen hydropower tunnels where workers are feared to be trapped. Images from the rescue sites show earth-moving equipment operating under lights in the dark, with soldiers using torchlight to search for access points. Nepal's disaster management authority has reported 933 individuals missing from hydropower projects in the affected region, while the Red Cross estimates that more than 90,000 people have been impacted by the disaster.
Nepal army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet highlighted the significant challenge posed by the large volume of debris deposited, emphasizing that opening the tunnels is the main priority. Prime Minister Balendra Shah characterized the event as an "unprecedented and devastating natural disaster." He noted that nearly 21,000 security personnel, along with civilian workers and volunteers, are participating in the extensive rescue operations. As of Sunday night, Nepal had officially reported 788 deaths and 2,500 missing, while Chinese authorities confirmed 16 deaths and 546 missing in Gyirong county.
China has mobilized over 2,100 rescue workers and allocated at least 220 million yuan ($33 million) for relief efforts, including airdropping equipment and supplies. Chinese soldiers are utilizing life-detection equipment in their search for the missing. Despite Nepal's general self-sufficiency in rescue efforts, it has sought expertise from its neighbors for tunnel rescue operations. The rescue work has faced interruptions due to adverse weather and concerns about a lake formed by the disaster potentially causing further flooding. However, favorable weather on Monday allowed rescue operations to accelerate, according to Rasuwa district administrator Narendra Pariyar.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the flood was caused by glacier instability linked to the long-term effects of global warming, describing it as a "new and prominent feature of cryosphere disasters" on the Tibetan plateau. Two Nepali officials indicated that China had not shared extensive information on glacier risks and water levels earlier in the year, raising concerns that a lack of data sharing could hinder future disaster preparedness. Chinese scientists determined that the mudslide reached the Gyirong border crossing in a matter of minutes, as depicted in dramatic surveillance footage showing torrents of water and debris engulfing structures.