Bidur, August 28 — The death toll from devastating flash floods and landslides near the Nepal-Tibet border has risen, with rescue teams searching for over 1,400 people missing in the disaster, including many foreign tourists and Hindu pilgrims. The US Geological Survey said a glacial collapse triggered a vast flow of icy debris, causing the disaster that has swept away entire villages and left a trail of destruction in its wake.
Climate change is causing glaciers to melt worldwide, increasing the risks of glacial lake floods and glacial collapses. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited the area on Thursday to oversee relief work, as Beijing reported that 100 Chinese citizens are missing in Nepal. Chinese government officials in Tibet mobilised nearly 800 emergency workers, as well as sniffer dogs and speed boats, to help the rescue efforts. Nepali police said they had recovered 389 bodies, while another 910 people, including 517 foreign tourists, were out of contact in the country.
A sharp rise in the number of missing people has raised concerns about the scale of the disaster, with Indians making up the largest number of missing foreigners. The United States said 90 of its citizens were out of contact, while other foreigners out of contact include citizens from Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, and South Korea, Nepal’s tourism board said.
The sudden rush of mud and debris was “like an inland tsunami”, travelling nearly 170 kilometres south into Nepal, said environmental historian Ruth Gamble, of Australia’s La Trobe University. The disaster has prompted fears of further floods, with water trapped by the immense piles of debris blocking the valley, and authorities have warned of a growing lake behind debris left by the landslide. As rescue efforts continue, the international community is watching with concern, with the Dalai Lama saying he would “pray for all those who have lost their lives”.
The situation on the ground remains dire, with emergency teams racing to pluck survivors from affected zones, and Nepali soldiers using sniffer dogs to search for bodies buried under the suffocating dirt. What happens next will depend on the success of the relief efforts and the ability of the authorities to prevent further disasters in the region.
