Figures from Nepal and from Chinese authorities in charge of Tibet put the total number of missing at 3,048, with 768 confirmed deaths.
The number of people missing in the catastrophic flood that sliced through the border area between Nepal and Tibet exceeded 3,000 on Sunday, as rescuers searched for survivors.
Here are the latest developments after the tsunami-like disaster that struck the Himalayan region on Wednesday:
Deaths Climb
Figures from Nepal and from Chinese authorities in charge of Tibet put the total number of missing at 3,048, with 797 confirmed deaths.
Nepal says there are 2,502 people, including 592 foreigners, who are out of contact in the country. It reported an updated death count of 781 people on Sunday.
Tibet, an autonomous region of China, was largely inaccessible to foreign journalists, preventing independent reporting on the scale of the disaster in an area which has multiple villages.
China’s state broadcaster CCTV said on Sunday that 546 people were missing and 16 people had been killed.
Of those missing, 261 were foreign nationals, it said.
100 Trapped In Tunnels
More than 100 workers are believed to be trapped inside multiple hydropower tunnels.
The Nepali army inserted a pipe into one of the tunnels at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric site late on Saturday and started sending air through it, Minister Sudan Gurung said.
But overnight rain and rising river waters hampered rescue efforts at that site, and Nepal’s disaster authorities urged rescue teams on Sunday to exercise caution.
Those trapped were among 933 missing workers from hydropower projects on the rivers where the torrent of icy debris swept down.
India, which has extensive experience in such rescues, has sent an 11-person specialised team. China has also sent a nine-person tunnel team to help.
New Lake
Hampering rescue operations on Sunday was the formation of a new lake near the Tibet border following a landslide 2.8 kilometres (1.74 miles) from a drained lake that in previous days had threatened rescue work.
After the landslide on Saturday evening “a new barrier lake is now forming”, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Rescue personnel near the Gyirong border port had been moved to safer areas while the Ministry of Emergency Management convened experts to assess and analyse the situation, CCTV said.
Reconstruction Could Cost ‘Billions’
Nepal’s reconstruction bill could run into “billions of dollars”, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said.
“We will do loss and damage research and then we plan, but I am reaching out to our international community for support.”
Relatives Crowd Rescue Hub
At an army base in the Nepali town of Bidur, a key rescue hub, relatives crowded around lists of rescued people pasted on a wall.
“I have come here looking for my son,” said Kalka Sharda, scanning the list in desperation. “He was a labourer at the hydropower plant, but I can’t find his name, and the authorities are not saying anything.”
Australian Family ‘Elated’ Daughter Found
The Australian parents of a woman reported missing in devastating floods that struck Nepal said Sunday they were “elated” and relieved after their daughter was found safe and sound.
Cara Severino, 24, was found “safe and well” on Friday, her parents said.
Among those not accounted for are 42 Australians, many of whom were pilgrims visiting holy sites.
Climate Change
While the exact cause of the collapse is unclear, Nepal’s foreign minister warned on Saturday of the growing threat from climate change in the Himalayas.
The US Geological Survey said the disaster on Wednesday near the high-altitude China-Nepal border was caused by a glacial collapse that sent a torrent of debris downstream.
China’s state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday that experts had said “a glacier on the southern slope of Lirung Peak in Nepal” fractured, triggering an ice-rock avalanche.
“The sudden glacial collapse and flash flood is a devastating reminder of how fragile these mountain environments can be,” UN climate chief Simon Steill said in a statement.
Aid Offers
As many as 93,000 people in Nepal are potentially affected by the disaster, according to the Red Cross.
Nepal appealed on Saturday for international financial assistance, as well as specialised rescue support, including heavy-lift drones, DNA testing kits, and body freezer storage units.
The United States and Canada said they would each provide around $3.6 million in humanitarian assistance.
