Nepal and China Death Toll Surpasses 1,270 After Devastating Glacial Flood
18 sources across 16 countries · 3 of them are linked to a state
Who reported this
- CNA
- The Straits Times
- The Guardian
- The Economist
- Infobae
- Folha de S.Paulo
- La Tercera
- France 24
- South China Morning Post
- The Indian Express
- Corriere della Sera
- Kyodo News
- Dawn
- Philippine Daily Inquirer
- Al Jazeera
- Mail & Guardian
- The Hankyoreh
- Al-Monitor
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
At least 1,273 people have died and over 4,700 remain missing following a catastrophic flood and landslide event that struck the border region between Nepal and China on August 26. Authorities report that a glacier collapse near the Langtang Lirung mountain peak triggered a massive deluge of ice, rock, and mud that swept through the Himalayas, destroying entire villages and infrastructure. In Nepal, the death toll is estimated at 1,252, while Chinese state media reports 21 deaths in Tibet.
Rescue operations are currently focused on hydropower project tunnels where hundreds of workers are believed to be trapped. Officials from the Nepal electricity authority expressed confidence that some workers in the Rasuwagadhi plant may still be alive due to the presence of air pockets and supplies. International experts from India, South Korea, China, and Australia are assisting the Nepali army in these efforts. Japan has also announced the dispatch of a seven member team of experts to help identify recovered bodies.
The scale of destruction is immense, with the United Nations Development Programme estimating that 2.2 million tonnes of debris were created. Nepali authorities estimate that 20,000 houses must be rebuilt, as 7,500 were completely destroyed. UNICEF has warned that 22,000 children urgently need clean water and sanitation to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.
While most structures were leveled, a turquoise house in the Nuwakot district gained international attention for remaining standing. Engineering perspectives suggest its reinforced cement concrete frame and deep foundations may have allowed it to withstand the lateral forces of the flood.
Framing of the disaster varies by political lean. Center left outlets emphasize the role of climate change and the historical responsibility of major greenhouse gas emitters to compensate vulnerable nations. Center right outlets focus more on the immediate humanitarian toll and the efforts of tour operators to reassure tourists that most of the country remains safe. Center outlets provide a balanced overview of the casualty figures, the logistical challenges of the rescue, and the long term reconstruction needs.
How each side framed it
- Left
- Emphasized the personal tragedies of missing workers and the perceived lack of communication from corporate employers.
- Centre-left
- Framed the event as a consequence of global climate change and a matter of international climate justice.
- Centre
- Focused on the logistical scale of the disaster, casualty counts, and the necessity of rebuilding.
- Centre-right
- Highlighted the impact on the tourism industry and the specific survival of the turquoise house.
Sources
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: Families perform symbolic funerals for missing Nepal flood victims
- Centre-left Al Jazeera: Rescue efforts continue as Nepal-China flood death toll surpasses 1,270
- Centre Al-Monitor: Nepali survivor recounts 'fight through darkness' to escape flood-hit tunnel
- Centre CNA: Singapore Red Cross commits additional S$170,000 in aid, raises over S$3 million through Nepal floods appeal
- Centre-right Corriere della Sera: Nepal wonders about the "house of the miracle": how come it remained standing while everything around was swept away by the wave?
- Centre-left Dawn: Nepal must rebuild thousands of homes, no letup in search for missing
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: Nepal says it will have to rebuild 20 thousand houses after floods
- Centre France 24: Flooding in Nepal: the race to identify victims using DNA
- Centre France 24: In Nepal, should a new devastating flood be feared?
- Centre-right Infobae: The missing in Nepal exceed 5,000 after more than a week of flooding
- Centre Kyodo News: Japan to dispatch team of experts to flood-hit Nepal
- Centre-right La Tercera: Nepal raises the dead from floods on the border with China to more than 1,250, with more than 4,200 missing
- Centre-left Mail & Guardian: Nepal floods highlight growing threat of unpredictable Himalayan hazards
- Centre Philippine Daily Inquirer: Nepal PM warns of risks as scientists flag more glacial disasters
- Centre Philippine Daily Inquirer: Nepal flood survivors lack space even to mourn their dead
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: ‘Nepal is not closed’: tour operators battle flood fallout, urge visitors to return
- Centre-right The Economist: Catastrophic floods warn Nepal of more disasters to come
- Centre-left The Guardian: Dozens of trapped hydropower tunnel workers in Nepal could still be alive, official says
- Left The Hankyoreh: [Reportage] ‘Evacuate!’: Missing worker’s warning saved coworkers from Nepal floods
- Centre The Indian Express: How that one house in Nepal survived the devastating floods
- Centre The Indian Express: Nepal flash floods: What is the first health risk people should watch out for?
- Centre-right The Straits Times: Over $3 million raised for Nepal-China flood relief in Singapore Red Cross drive
93% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.