797 Dead, 3,000 Missing in Nepal‑Tibet Flood; Rescue Race to Trishuli Tunnel

Nepal and Tibet face mounting death toll and missing persons reports following a deadly Himalayan flash flood triggered by a glacial collapse, as rescue efforts intensify to locate survivors and recover victims. Authorities now confirm 797 deaths and over 3,048 people missing, with additional risks of further flooding and downstream impacts reaching as far as India. The disaster has drawn international attention amid calls for climate action and urgent rescue operations at critical sites like the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric tunnel.

Rescue teams in Nepal and China are working against time in treacherous conditions to find survivors and recover bodies. Nepal has confirmed 781 deaths and 2,502 people unaccounted for, including 592 foreign nationals. China reports 16 deaths and 546 missing, including 261 foreigners such as 104 Nepalis, 49 Indians, 33 Latvians, 18 Americans, and 15 Britons. The disaster originated when a glacial collapse in the Himalayas sent a torrent of water and debris cascading downstream on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In a major development, Nepal’s army succeeded in inserting a pipe into the Trishuli 3A tunnel, where over 100 workers remain trapped. Rescue teams are now preparing to enter the tunnel after establishing airflow. The focus remains on two key hydroelectric sites, Trishuli 3A and 3B, where 933 hydropower workers are among the missing. Authorities warn of rising water levels in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa district and have issued urgent flood alerts to residents via mobile phones.

Survivors and rescue workers describe harrowing conditions. In Dhading, one of the worst-affected districts, residents returned to ruined homes to salvage belongings despite ongoing flood warnings. Many described exhaustion from repeated evacuations triggered by constant alarms. Govind Shreshta, a local resident, said, “Sometimes they say a flood is coming, then we have to run again to higher ground, even at night. It’s really difficult for me. I have a 72-year-old father and 70-year-old mother. I must carry them and I am exhausted.”

In Tibet’s Gyirong area, Chinese rescue operations were paused due to the risk of a newly formed glacial lake bursting. Over 2,141 rescuers, including 500 at the hardest-hit site, remain on standby. In Kathmandu, families of the missing gathered outside government hospitals, desperately checking noticeboards and seeking information about loved ones. Dil Maya Lama traveled from Ramechhap to search for her 26-year-old brother, a hydropower driver missing in Rasuwa. “I came here with the hope that I might find him,” she said. “There is no information about him.”

Nepal’s government is preparing for a long recovery, estimating reconstruction costs in the billions. Authorities have requested forensic testing kits and refrigeration units to manage decomposing bodies. In Nuwakot, survivor Buddhi Ram Dangol said, “All the settlements near the river were swept away. There is nothing left.”

With rescue efforts ongoing and the threat of further flooding looming, the disaster highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable Himalayan nations like Nepal.

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