Nepal Resumes Flood Rescue, Seeks Aid and Technical Help

Nepal has resumed search and rescue operations after a weather-related pause, as authorities continue to look for nearly 3,000 people missing following a catastrophic flood that tore through the Himalayan nation's border region with Tibet.

The disaster, triggered by a glacier collapse, unleashed a torrent of rock, ice, mud, and debris through mountain river systems on Wednesday. The deluge has killed at least 669 people in Nepal and seven in China's Tibet, while sweeping away buildings, bridges, and power stations.

Authorities in the hard-hit Rasuwa district said helicopters were flying again after weather conditions improved. The operations had been suspended due to rain and fog, and also on Friday when a lake formed across the Nepal-China border began overflowing. By Saturday, the risk from that lake had eased, with satellite images showing water slowly draining and the lake's size gradually reducing.

Officials warn that flood risks will persist until two upstream lakes have fully drained. Meanwhile, some bodies being recovered have decomposed beyond recognition. In the Chitwan district, authorities said bodies would be buried in an open space after legal formalities due to health risks, with DNA samples collected beforehand.

In Kathmandu, families of the missing have gathered outside a medical campus, trying to identify relatives from photographs of bodies displayed on gates and walls. In Malaysia, families of 91 citizens listed as uncontactable across Tibet and Nepal are also awaiting news, with a representative urging the foreign ministry to establish a faster communication channel.

For survivors, the ordeal continues. Saraswati Ghale, 43, whose home was destroyed, recalled scrambling uphill as the water struck, shaking the ground "like there was an earthquake." She said, "I don't have anything (left) ... I am saved but who knows how things will pan out."

Nepal's Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle said the government's initial estimate is that rebuilding will cost between $4 billion and $5 billion, though this is just an estimate while loss and damage are being assessed.

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Nepal does not need help with search and rescue but requires specialist assistance for rescuing people trapped in tunnels, restoring transport and communication lines, identifying bodies, conducting DNA testing, and storing bodies for longer periods. A team of Indian tunnel experts arrived on Saturday, and China has dispatched five tunnel experts with four more due to join. India has also sent three flights carrying 60 tons of relief supplies, including blankets, medicines, and food.

In Tibet, rescuers reached the worst-hit Gyirong border crossing complex on Friday, using ropes to navigate forests and cliffs after roads were destroyed. More than 50 rescue workers combed through rubble on Saturday morning, looking for signs of life in bleak, rainy conditions.