The number of people missing after floods in Nepal and China has soared to nearly 3,000, with rescue efforts ongoing in both countries. In Nepal, 2,426 people, including hundreds of foreigners, are out of contact, while in Tibet, China, 554 people remain missing. The floods, which struck with terrifying speed, have caused widespread devastation, with entire settlements swept away and infrastructure projects severely impacted.
The disaster has particularly affected the region's vast energy infrastructure projects. Nepal's disaster authority has added 933 hydropower workers to the missing persons list, which already includes trekkers and pilgrims to Tibet's sacred Mount Kailash. Survivors describe losing everything and facing an agonizing wait to discover the fate of their loved ones.
Emergency teams have been racing to retrieve survivors from affected zones, where food and water supplies are running out. The search for the missing has been compounded by fears of further flooding. In Tibet, Chinese authorities suspended rescue operations in the hardest-hit area of Gyirong due to the risk of renewed flooding, before reporting that the threat had eased.
Nepali police have urged all rescuers to move to safe locations after receiving information about a water dam bursting again on the Tibetan side. On the Nepali side, the military is working to extract survivors trapped in the tunnel of the Trishuli 3A hydropower project. Two helicopters have been dispatched, but the challenging conditions make it difficult to locate the entry points of the tunnel.
The trauma of the catastrophe has been enormous, with the Red Cross estimating that as many as 93,000 people may have been affected. The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered. In India, authorities have reported recovering seven bodies from rivers flowing from Nepal, believed to be flood victims.
The disaster has highlighted the vulnerability of the region to natural calamities and the challenges faced by rescue and relief efforts in such scenarios. For Bangladesh, which shares similar geographical and climatic conditions, the event underscores the importance of preparedness and robust disaster management strategies.
