Rescuers Find Survivors Amidst Catastrophic Floods in Nepal and Tibet

At least 1,372 people have died and more than 5,500 remain missing across Nepal and Tibet following a glacial and mountain collapse on the China-Nepal border. The disaster, described by Nepalese Foreign Affairs Minister Shisir Khanal as a Himalayan tsunami, occurred on August 26 when icy water and debris destroyed roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. In Nepal, the disaster agency reports 1,341 bodies retrieved and 4,996 people missing, while Chinese state media reports 31 deaths and 531 missing in Tibet.

Search operations entered their 12th day with the rescue of four survivors. Two hydropower workers were saved at the Trishuli 3A tunnel, and a Chinese man was pulled alive from another hydropower tunnel. Additionally, a 64-year-old Nepalese woman, Chandrika Shrestha, was rescued from her mud-covered home. Prime Minister Balendra Shah stated that this rescue gave hope to the entire nation.

Rescue efforts face significant challenges due to adverse weather, geography, and lack of connectivity. Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha noted that work continues to restore electricity, using solar power in unreachable areas. The UN has launched a 50 million US dollar appeal to assist over 84,000 people, noting that the magnitude of destruction makes aid delivery difficult. Due to overflowing mortuaries, Nepal has used mass graves for hundreds of bodies after taking DNA samples for identification.

Nepal observed a national day of mourning on the 13th day since the disaster. While the exact cause of the collapse is unclear, reports indicate that climate change is accelerating glacial melting worldwide, which increases the risk of such events.