Nepal Floods: Death Toll Crosses 900, Thousands Missing as Fresh Alert Issued
Kathmandu: A new flood warning has been issued in Nepal as water levels rise dangerously in the Bhotekoshi River, six days after a glacial collapse triggered devastating floods along the Nepal-Tibet border. The combined death toll has crossed 900, with thousands still missing, according to the latest official figures.
Nepalese authorities said Chinese officials have informed them of increased water flow upstream. The warning comes as rescue teams work to clear roads connecting Kathmandu to flood-affected areas. Overnight rain and rising river waters have also hampered rescue operations, the Nepali army said.
China's state news agency Xinhua, citing the country's water resources ministry, reported that a new lake formed after the flood waters largely drained. The ministry warned that a crater located 5.6 kilometres upstream, holding an estimated 1.4 million cubic metres of water, still posed a risk and required close monitoring.
According to Nepal's disaster agency, the death toll in Nepal has reached 903, with 4,247 people missing. Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing on their side of the border. The missing include hundreds of foreigners from more than a dozen countries, including India, who were in the region for work, pilgrimage, or visiting the mountains. Chinese state media said 261 foreigners remain missing in Tibet, including over a hundred Nepali citizens.
In Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, distressed families have crowded rescue stations and hospitals searching for missing relatives. Officials have begun identifying bodies at overflowing morgues, and with limited freezing facilities, authorities have started burials before completing the identification process. DNA samples have been collected from the bodies so families can claim them later for traditional funeral rites.
Survivors face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives from nothing. "All the settlements near the river were swept away," resident Buddhi Ram Dangol told Agence France-Presse in Nuwakot district. "There is nothing left."
Among the missing are 933 workers from hydropower projects. Nepali army troops and engineers have been drilling through debris at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric site, where workers are believed to be trapped in a tunnel. A pipe has been inserted into the passage to provide air and possibly communication.
Survivors described horrifying scenes. Surendra Dowluri, 33, from Andhra Pradesh, was rescued four days after the disaster. "We heard a very loud sound... and saw that the turbine floor was submerged with slush, and six workers were stuck in that," he said. "We managed to rescue five of them, but one person lost his life."
Nepal's government has acknowledged limited resources to respond to a disaster of this scale. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the reconstruction bill could run into billions of dollars. He appealed for specialised assistance, including heavy-lift drones, technology to locate trapped people, and forensic testing kits for identification.
