Kathmandu, Aug. 27 -- The death toll from the flash floods triggered by a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border rose to 392 on Thursday, with 359 deaths reported in Nepal and three in neighbouring Tibet. Rescue teams were searching for 1,468 people still missing on both sides of the border, including 910 in Nepal and 558 in Tibet. Among those reported missing in Nepal are 290 Indian nationals.
The disaster began on Wednesday after an ice-rock avalanche linked to a glacial collapse struck the Lhende River near the Nepal-China border, about 20 km northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border city. The avalanche temporarily blocked the river, creating a natural barrier that later broke apart and sent a huge volume of water, mud, rocks and debris downstream.
Rasuwa district, about 160 km from Kathmandu, was among the first areas hit. Settlements including Timure and Rasuwagadhi were inundated before the flood moved through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river system, damaging homes, vehicles, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.
Nepal's disaster management authorities said a debris-laden flood entered the Lhende River after the ice-rock landslide and later reached the Trishuli River after passing through Timure. A preliminary assessment by Nepalese authorities, supported by a revised analysis from the US Geological Survey, found that the event was caused by a glacial collapse and debris flow rather than an earthquake.
The USGS said analysis of long-period seismic waves showed that the event initially reported as a 4.4-magnitude earthquake was generated by the glacial collapse and resulting debris flow.
The scale of the destruction has made rescue work difficult. Nepalese security personnel have evacuated more than 800 people from affected districts, while helicopters, drones and ground teams continued searching isolated settlements, riverbanks and downstream areas. At least 44 Nepal Army personnel, 28 Nepal Police personnel and 13 Armed Police Force personnel are among those whose whereabouts remain unknown. Around 160 workers at hydropower projects and customs offices have also been reported missing. Nepal Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said 132 bodies had been recovered from Chitwan, the highest number among the affected districts. Other bodies were recovered from Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Tanahun and Nawalparasi.
Infrastructure damage has further complicated access to the affected areas. The Department of Roads said the entire 42-km stretch between Betrawati in Nuwakot and Rasuwagadhi was damaged at multiple points, with several concrete bridges washed away. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 35 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges and about 40 km of black-topped roads were damaged.
The Trishuli and Devighat hydropower projects and other power infrastructure also suffered damage. Authorities were working to reopen the Galchhi-Baireni road in Dhading, an important route linking Kathmandu with other parts of Nepal and a key transit corridor for heavy and light vehicles.
The search also moved to hospitals, where relatives gathered to identify missing family members. At Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, authorities displayed lists of people brought in for treatment and photographs of those who died. A separate desk was set up to collect information about missing people. Similar scenes were reported at Bharatpur Hospital in Chitwan, where the rising number of bodies put pressure on mortuary capacity.
Twenty-seven foreign tourists stranded in Rasuwa were rescued on Thursday, including 11 Indians, four South Koreans, two Italians and two US citizens. The nationalities of the remaining eight had not been confirmed by the Nepal Tourism Board. The group was flown to Kathmandu by the Nepal Army. Most Indian tourists affected by the disaster had been travelling towards Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet or Gosainkunda in Nepal's Bagmati Province.
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah visited Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot on Thursday to inspect flood-hit areas. In Tibet, Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Gyirong Township to oversee rescue and relief operations. Chinese state media said the People's Liberation Army's Western Theatre Command had sent a directing group to coordinate military rescue efforts.
Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal also spoke by telephone with senior officials in the US, the UK and several other countries. His office said they expressed solidarity with Nepal and committed to supporting search and rescue efforts.
Authorities were continuing to assess the full extent of the destruction as rescuers worked through damaged roads, collapsed bridges and heavy deposits of mud and debris, with some affected areas still difficult to reach.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.