Number of missing in Nepal, China floods soars to nearly 3,000

Rescuers in Nepal and China continued their search Saturday for nearly 3,000 people missing after a catastrophic flood swept through the Himalayan region, submerging villages and leaving a trail of destruction. The disaster, described as a tsunami-like wall of water and debris, has claimed at least 633 lives and triggered fears of further flooding as unstable glacial lakes form upstream. Authorities in both countries reported rising death tolls and mounting challenges in locating survivors, with remote terrain and damaged infrastructure complicating rescue efforts.

In Nepal, the disaster authority updated its missing persons list to include 933 hydropower workers, alongside trekkers and pilgrims who were heading to Tibet’s Mount Kailash. The floodwaters, which surged through energy infrastructure projects along the Trishuli River, destroyed entire settlements. Survivors described harrowing escapes, with some recounting how entire villages were wiped out in minutes. “All the settlements near the river were swept away. There is nothing left,” said Buddhi Ram Dangol, a local resident. The Red Cross estimated that as many as 93,000 people may have been affected, warning that the death toll would likely rise as recovery efforts continued.

Nepal’s military reported locating survivors trapped in tunnels at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project, where over 100 workers remained stranded. However, rescuers faced extreme difficulty accessing the site due to damaged entry points. “Two helicopters have been dispatched, but it is challenging because it is tough to even locate the entry points of the tunnel,” said army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet. So far, 350 workers and residents have been rescued from the area, but efforts are ongoing to reach those still trapped. Buddha Tamang, a worker rescued after more than 24 hours stranded, recounted the terrifying speed of the flood. “The senior officers working on the other side, they were all swept away,” he said.

Across the border in Tibet, Chinese authorities suspended rescue operations in the hardest-hit Gyirong area due to the risk of renewed flooding, later reporting that the immediate threat had eased. State media Xinhua confirmed that seven people had died and 554 remained missing in the region. Authorities also said they had evacuated 555 stranded tourists and 499 Chinese residents. In India, officials recovered seven bodies from rivers flowing from Nepal, believed to be victims of the flood.

Among the missing are scores of Hindu pilgrims, including foreigners, who were traveling to Mount Kailash when the disaster struck. Sivaranjani Muthunathan, a 46-year-old traveler from Singapore, described how her group became trapped in what they initially thought was a traffic jam before being engulfed by a torrent of water and mud. “Then there was fog, smoke, something that seemed to suddenly engulf us,” she said. She and her group managed to escape by climbing to higher ground as vehicles around them were swept away.

The disaster has left thousands displaced, with food and water supplies running low in affected areas. Authorities have warned of the risk of secondary flooding as glacial lakes destabilize, further threatening rescue operations. With the death toll expected to climb and hundreds still missing, the humanitarian crisis in the Himalayas continues to deepen.

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