Key facts
- The death toll from flooding in Nepal and Tibet has surpassed 900, with over 4,700 people missing.
- Rescue efforts have intensified, with authorities and foreign teams searching for stranded individuals and those trapped in hydropower tunnels.
- The disaster was triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, registering as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event.
- Scientists suggest climate change may be a contributing factor to the increased glacier melt.
- Hundreds of foreigners are among the missing, with specific numbers reported for various nationalities.
Catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet has resulted in over 900 confirmed deaths and more than 4,700 people missing, according to reports from Monday. The disaster, triggered by a glacial collapse high in the Himalayas that registered as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event, has led to intense rescue efforts.
Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, Nepal’s army spokesman, stated that authorities have intensified search and rescue operations for stranded individuals in the affected zones. Multiple foreign rescue teams are also providing assistance, particularly in locating workers trapped in various hydropower tunnels, where at least 90 people are believed to be held.
Nepal's disaster agency reported 903 deaths and 4,247 missing, including 592 foreigners. In Tibet, Chinese authorities confirmed 16 deaths and 546 missing, with 261 of those being foreigners. Scientists studying satellite images indicated that the collapse of bedrock beneath a glacier caused the event, leading to a torrent of water and debris that swept through valleys in both Nepal and China.
Experts suggest that climate change, which accelerates glacier melt in the region, may have contributed to the disaster. Rescue operations are challenged by difficult weather conditions, debris, and the risk of secondary flooding from newly formed lakes.