Nepal issues fresh flood warning as around 3,000 people remain unaccounted for
The death toll from flooding in Nepal and Tibet has climbed to 750, with more than 3,000 people still missing, as authorities warn of renewed flood risk.
The combined death toll from catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet reached 750 on Sunday, while more than 3,000 people remain unaccounted for, according to local authorities. A new flood alert was issued after river levels rose again, and Tibetan officials warned that a fresh lake is forming behind debris left by a landslide. Several scientists suspect that Wednesday's disaster, which sent massive volumes of water surging down a river valley, may have been triggered by a glacier collapse in the Himalayas.
Toll on both sides of the border
Nepal's disaster management agency recorded 734 deaths within the country, while Chinese state media confirmed 16 deaths in Tibet, an autonomous region of China. Chinese authorities said the victims included more than a hundred Nepali nationals and people from over a dozen other countries. On Sunday, Nepal's disaster agency issued a fresh flood warning and urged residents along the Bhotekoshi River to stay on high alert as water levels continued rising. Warning notices were sent directly to residents' phones, advising them to move to higher ground. On the Tibetan side, state media reported that monitoring drones detected a new lake forming Saturday night behind a landslide-created barrier near the Gyirong border crossing, prompting rescue teams in the area to relocate over fears the barrier could burst.
Hydropower workers trapped in tunnels
Nepalese rescuers are still trying to reach more than 100 hydropower workers believed to be alive but trapped in tunnels buried under flood debris. Rescue efforts are focused on several hydropower projects along the Trishuli River, where more than 900 workers went missing when the floods struck. At one site, army teams worked through Saturday night using drills to break into the upper section of a mud-filled tunnel in order to pump in oxygen and lower a camera. The prime minister's office said crews faced continuous rain and difficult conditions but kept working through the night in their search and rescue efforts.
International support
Specialized teams from India and China have joined the response, alongside Nepal's mountain rescue unit, which normally assists climbers on peaks including Everest. A Nepali foreign ministry spokesperson said the country needs help with tunnel rescue operations, DNA testing and victim identification. The US State Department announced it would provide $3.6 million in humanitarian assistance, including up to three months of emergency food aid for as many as 10,000 affected households. The Red Cross estimates the disaster has likely affected more than 90,000 people.
