Nepal-Tibet Floods & Landslides Kill 750, More Than 3000 Still Missing

The death toll from severe flash floods and landslides in Nepal and China’s Tibet has risen to 750, with 3,044 people still missing, according to Nepal’s Kathmandu Post and Reuters. Nepal has reported 734 deaths and 2,498 missing people, while Tibet has recorded 16 deaths and 546 people missing.

Nepal’s death toll in the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river basins reached 734, according to the latest government figures cited by Kathmandu Post. Chinese authorities said 16 people had died and 546 remained missing in Gyirong County in Tibet as of Saturday evening, Reuters reported.

Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said in a search, rescue and relief update published at 9am local time on Sunday that 734 bodies and body parts had been recovered from several flood-hit districts.

Chitwan recorded the highest number of recovered bodies, with 259. Authorities recovered 184 bodies in Nawalparasi East, 82 in Nawalparasi West, 58 in Gorkha, 52 in Nuwakot, 50 in Dhading, 36 in Tanahun and 13 in Rasuwa.

Floodwaters carried people and debris far downstream through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, resulting in the recovery of bodies hundreds of kilometres away from affected areas.

Rasuwa district has recorded the highest number of missing people, with 562 unaccounted for, district authorities said. Nuwakot has reported 115 missing people and Makwanpur 65.

The missing include 933 people associated with a hydropower project, 589 foreign nationals and 127 Nepalis travelling with them. Eighty-five security personnel are also missing, including 45 Nepal Army members, 27 Nepal Police personnel and 13 Armed Police Force members.

Nepal’s government said 242 people were injured in the flooding. The figure includes people still receiving treatment and those discharged from hospital after treatment.

Search, rescue and relief operations are continuing in flood-hit districts, with 19,895 security personnel deployed. The deployment includes 8,399 Nepal Army personnel, 7,213 police officers and 4,203 Armed Police Force members.

Security forces have rescued 8,186 people so far, authorities said. Helicopters have played a major role in the rescue operation, evacuating 279 people trapped inside a hydropower project tunnel over two days and rescuing a further 227 foreign nationals.

The high number of deaths has created major challenges in identifying victims. Authorities have sent unidentified bodies to 21 hospitals in different districts for preservation and identification.

The government has begun distributing relief funds and materials in the worst-affected areas. Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts have each received 100 million Nepalese rupees in cash assistance, while Dhading has received 50 million rupees.

Authorities have also distributed 675 million Nepalese rupees among 15 local units. The government has dispatched 37 trucks carrying food and non-food relief supplies and conducted seven helicopter flights for relief distribution.

Two tonnes of food were airlifted to Uttargaya and Dhunche on Saturday. The government is also maintaining fuel reserves in Nuwakot to support rescue work and heavy machinery operations.

Nuwakot has stored 36,000 litres of diesel and 24,000 litres of petrol. Rescue operations have used nearly 25,000 litres of aviation fuel so far, with another 14,000 litres in reserve.

China said on Sunday that 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries were missing in Tibet after a major landslide in a land port area near the Nepal border. Officials from the Tibet Autonomous Region said at a press conference that the death toll in Tibet had reached 16.

Nepali nationals make up the largest group of missing foreign citizens, with 104 unaccounted for, Chinese officials said. The missing also include 49 Indian citizens, 33 Latvian citizens, 18 US citizens and 15 British citizens.

Beijing has informed the relevant foreign embassies and diplomatic missions about the missing nationals, Chinese officials said.