Nepal Flood Rescue Intensifies as Death Toll Climbs Past 460
Nepal's flood death toll reaches 469, with over 1,500 missing. Rescue teams race against time as a newly formed glacial lake threatens more flooding.
Rescue teams in Nepal are working around the clock to locate hundreds of people still unaccounted for after a devastating flash flood struck the Himalayan border region with China earlier this week. The disaster, which occurred on Wednesday, has left entire communities buried under mud and debris.
The confirmed death toll in Nepal has risen sharply to 469, according to police figures released Friday morning, up from 390 the previous day. China has so far reported just three deaths on its side of the border in Tibet. Combined, the two countries have stated that more than 1,500 people remain missing.
Aerial footage released by the Nepal Army shows rescue operations unfolding in the districts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot, where teams are seen pulling survivors from thick mud near the Rasuwa Hydropower tunnel. Several rescued individuals have been airlifted to safety by helicopter.
Adding to the urgency, authorities in both Nepal and China have warned that a lake formed upstream after the disaster is already overflowing and could trigger further flooding. China's Ministry of Water Resources estimates the lake currently holds around 2 million cubic meters of water, with an additional 3 million cubic meters expected to flow into it over the next three days.
Chinese state media reports indicate the lake's natural barrier sits more than 10 kilometers from Gyirong Port, the key border crossing that was engulfed by the floodwaters. The lake is situated at an elevation of 2,950 meters, roughly 1,000 meters above the port area.
The Nepal Army has dispatched a team to the border point to inspect the Bhotekoshi River, which remains a potential source of further danger. Officials are urging residents in vulnerable areas to move to higher ground as a precaution.