United News of Bangladesh

The death toll from devastating floods in Nepal and China has crossed 1,000, authorities said Tuesday, as rescue teams continued efforts to reach people stranded in remote areas. Nepal’s disaster management authorities said 987 people had died in the country, while 3,916 others remained missing. Among the missing are 583 foreign nationals. Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths in their latest update on Sunday. So far, at least 11,814 people have been rescued in Nepal, according to officials. Rescue teams are using helicopters and other aircraft to reach communities cut off after floods and landslides destroyed roads and bridges. The disaster began on August 26 following a series of events in the high Himalayan region. A glacier collapse sent huge amounts of rock, ice and melting water into nearby valleys, triggering powerful floods downstream. Scientists analysing satellite images said the incident appears to have been caused by the collapse of rock beneath a glacier in the Himalayas. The massive rockfall was strong enough to produce a seismic event measuring 5.2 in magnitude. The sudden flow of water and debris then entered rivers running through Tibet and Nepal, causing water levels to rise rapidly. The floods swept away homes, buildings, roads and bridges, while large amounts of mud and rocks were carried downstream, causing widespread destruction.

The death toll from catastrophic flash floods along the Nepal-China border has risen to 691, with more than 3,000 people still missing as rescue teams continue searching devastated communities for survivors. China reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing, while Nepal’s disaster agency said late Saturday that 675 people had died and 2,498 remained missing. More than 3,700 people have so far been rescued in Nepal. In Nuwakot, one of the worst-hit districts, helicopters arrived carrying relief supplies, including clothes, instant noodles, crackers and rice, while others evacuated survivors from flood-affected areas. Many survivors arrived with little more than the clothes they were wearing. Soldiers helped elderly people off helicopters and carried others to medical tents. Several babies were also among those evacuated from the nearby community of Trishuli. While many residents continued to leave Trishuli, some returned to their devastated homes to look for belongings that could be salvaged. One resident, Shoba Shretha, returned to find her dog, Sweetie, which she had been forced to leave behind when the floods struck. She was later seen sitting on the ground, petting the dog and giving it water. At the same time, families in Kathmandu continued searching desperately for missing relatives at the main government hospital. Many checked help desks and hospital notice boards while carrying photographs of their loved ones. Posters showing photographs and contact numbers of missing people covered hospital walls in the hope of finding information. In Nuwakot, military personnel posted lists of missing and dead people at a relief centre, drawing crowds of anxious relatives. Rajesh Kumar Ram, who was searching for his son, said he still hoped he would be found alive. “I’m hopeful, by chance, that my son is somewhere,” he said through tears. Priti Kharel was also searching for her brother, Milan Kharel, an engineering geologist working for Doosan Enerbility. She believes he may be among those trapped inside a tunnel at a hydropower construction site. “We want the government to rescue him as soon as possible,” she said. Search and rescue operations continued at several locations in Nepal and Tibet, including the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa and the badly damaged Gyirong border crossing on the Chinese side. Nepali Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet said authorities believe more than 100 people could be trapped inside a tunnel at the hydropower project, where thick mud has made rescue operations extremely difficult. Rescuers have also remained alert to the possibility of further flooding from a newly formed lake high in the Himalayas. The lake emerged after a glacier collapse triggered the initial floods on Wednesday. Data from China’s Ministry of Water Resources showed that the lake had decreased in size, with its water level falling by about 10 metres from its peak on Thursday morning, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Chinese state media also showed rescuers reaching the devastated Gyirong Port and searching the area for survivors. It remains unclear how many people were inside the border checkpoint when the floods struck. Hundreds of those still missing are foreigners who were in the region for work, trekking or pilgrimage. Chinese state media said 261 foreigners were among the missing, including 104 Nepalis, 49 Indians, 33 Latvians, 18 Americans and 15 Britons. Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the government had mobilised all available resources, with international assistance, to locate those still missing and conduct rescue and relief operations. He said the rugged terrain, steep mountains and narrow gorges were making rescue efforts particularly challenging. Nepal has sought specialised assistance from neighbouring countries for tunnel rescue operations, survivor-detection technology, rapid forensic and DNA analysis and morgue refrigeration facilities. An 11-member tunnel rescue reconnaissance team from India has already been deployed, while a similar team from China is expected to arrive soon. Khanal said Nepal had received more than 57 metric tons of relief supplies from India, while China, Japan, Australia and other countries were also providing assistance. Further international support would be sought based on ongoing assessments of needs.

The death toll from devastating flash floods along the Nepal-China border has risen to 676, while nearly 3,000 people remain missing as rescue teams continue searching for survivors and evacuating people from the worst-hit areas. Nepal’s disaster agency reported 669 deaths and 2,426 people missing in the country, while China has reported seven deaths and 554 people missing. In Nuwakot, one of Nepal’s worst-affected districts, helicopters resumed rescue operations Saturday after bad weather temporarily disrupted aerial efforts. Some helicopters carried relief supplies, including clothes, instant noodles, crackers and rice, to flood-hit communities, while others brought survivors to safety. At relief centres, soldiers helped elderly people and carried babies who had been evacuated from the nearby community of Trishuli. Medical workers examined the survivors after their arrival. While some residents were leaving Trishuli, others returned to their devastated homes to search for belongings they might be able to salvage. One boy was seen carrying muddy sandals from his home, while resident Shoba Shretha returned to look for her dog, Sweetie, which she had been forced to leave behind when the flooding began. In Kathmandu, relatives gathered outside the main government hospital, desperately searching for information about loved ones who remain missing. Families moved between help desks and hospital notice boards, checking lists of injured people and putting up posters with photographs and contact numbers of missing relatives. Officials also displayed photographs of unidentified bodies in the hope that families or friends could recognize them. Gajendra Rawat, a security official at the hospital help desk, said around 1,600 missing people had been registered there since the disaster. “People are coming from all parts of Nepal,” he said. At a relief centre in Nuwakot, military personnel posted lists of missing people on walls as families gathered to search for their relatives. Rajesh Kumar Ram, who was looking for his son, said he remained hopeful that he might still be found alive. “I’m hopeful, by chance, that my son is somewhere,” he said through tears. “Maybe they find him stuck somewhere. I’m waiting for that moment only.” As the search continued, more people gathered at an army barracks seeking information about missing family members. Priti Kharel was among them, holding a poster of her brother Milan Kharel, an engineering geologist working for Doosan Enerbility. His family has not heard from him since the floods. Kharel said she believed her brother could be among those trapped inside a tunnel at a hydropower construction site, where rescuers have already recovered some survivors. “We want the government to rescue him as soon as possible,” she said. Search and rescue operations continued at several locations in Nepal and China’s Tibet, including the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa district and the badly damaged Gyirong border crossing. Nepali Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet said rescuers would continue operations at the hydropower project, where more than 100 people are believed to be trapped inside a tunnel filled with thick mud. Rescuers have used ropes and baskets to reach some people, but the operation remains difficult because the tunnel is covered by up to 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 metres) of mud and there are few suitable locations for helicopters to land. Rescue teams have also been placed on alert over the possibility of another flood from a newly formed lake high in the Himalayas. The lake was created after a glacier collapse triggered Wednesday’s floods. Chinese monitoring data showed the lake had shrunk by late Friday, with its water level falling about 10 metres (32 feet) from its peak on Thursday morning, according to state broadcaster CCTV. On the Chinese side, rescuers reached the devastated Gyirong Port on Saturday by foot and raft, while some were lowered into the area from drones. It remained unclear how many people were inside the border checkpoint building when the floods struck. Nepal has so far rescued more than 3,700 people. Hundreds of those still missing are foreigners who were in the region for work, trekking or pilgrimage. Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the government had mobilised all available resources, with international support, for search, rescue, relief and recovery operations, particularly to locate those still missing. “This is currently our national priority,” he told reporters Saturday. He said rescue operations were particularly challenging because of the region’s steep mountains and narrow gorges. Khanal said Nepal had requested specialised assistance from neighbouring countries for tunnel rescue, survivor-detection technology, rapid forensic and DNA analysis and morgue refrigeration facilities. An 11-member tunnel rescue reconnaissance team from India has already been deployed, while a similar team from China is expected to arrive soon, he said. Nepal has received more than 57 metric tons of relief supplies from India, with additional assistance coming from China, Japan, Australia and other countries, according to the minister. Despite severe flood damage in four districts, Khanal said the rest of Nepal remained open and accessible to visitors. “We welcome foreign nationals willing to visit Nepal,” he said.