More than 469 people have been killed and nearly 1,500 remain missing after massive flash floods struck Nepal this week, as authorities in China warned of further geological risks upstream.
Indians account for the largest number of missing foreign nationals, with data from Nepal’s tourism board showing that 178 people from India were missing. Eleven others had been rescued.
Many of those still missing are foreign tourists, including trekkers in Nepal and Hindu pilgrims travelling to Tibet’s sacred, snow-capped Mount Kailash.
China raises fresh disaster alert
China has issued a Level IV alert along the Tibet-Nepal border, warning that a barrier lake formed by Wednesday’s mudslide at the confluence of two rivers faces a high risk of breaching and flooding downstream areas.
China’s Ministry of Water Resources issued the emergency alert for the Tibet Autonomous Region over the threat posed by the barrier lake, which formed near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers.
The rivers originate in Tibet and flow into Nepal as part of the Bhote Koshi river system.
Beijing said the lake had accumulated an estimated two million cubic metres of water by Thursday morning. With rain continuing in the region, inflows could reach about three million cubic metres, raising the risk of a breach, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
A breach could send floodwaters downstream and potentially cause further damage in areas including Gyirong Port along the China-Nepal border and elsewhere downstream.
China’s emergency response system for natural disasters has four levels, with Level I being the highest and Level IV the lowest.
Rescue operations continue in Nepal
Rescue teams and military helicopters are searching for hundreds of missing people along the mountainous Nepal-China border, where a deadly torrent of water and mud several storeys high swept through communities following a glacier collapse.
Videos of the disaster showed people running as floodwaters rapidly engulfed them, while buildings and bridges were washed away.
Authorities in Nepal and China have reported more than 469 deaths and 1,468 missing people, while hundreds of others have been displaced across the Himalayan region.
The lush valleys of the Himalayan mountain range, home to many of the world’s highest peaks and remaining glaciers, are particularly vulnerable to floods and landslides.
Melting glaciers have become more common amid human-caused climate change.
New satellite imagery using Vantor technology showed that the China-Nepal Rasuwagadhi border crossing had been completely destroyed, with the glacial flood scouring the valley floor.
Aerial footage also showed a lake forming and expanding along the China-Nepal border, prompting authorities to warn of a possible breach.
Nepal turns down foreign rescue teams
The Nepal government has reportedly declined offers from several countries to send search and rescue teams to areas affected by the floods, where thousands of people remain missing.
According to The Strait Times, the government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah said Nepali security agencies were capable of handling the search and rescue operation.
Instead, officials reportedly said Nepal wanted cash contributions through a one-door mechanism. Additional financial assistance and other support would be sought during the reconstruction phase.
Several countries have already announced financial assistance, while others have expressed their willingness to support search, rescue, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
