Authorities in Nepal have issued a warning about potential new flooding, urging residents in affected areas to stay vigilant as water levels in the Bhotekoshi River have risen. Flood alerts were sent to people’s phones early Sunday, while rescue teams worked to clear a vital highway linking Kathmandu to a severely impacted region following catastrophic floods on Wednesday that claimed at least 800 lives and left over 3,000 missing in Nepal and Tibet.
The recent alerts came after Chinese authorities informed Nepalese officials of increased water flow upstream. The Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that a newly formed lake post-flood had largely drained, but a crater holding around 1.4 million cubic meters of water upstream remained a potential risk, necessitating close monitoring.
Nepal’s disaster agency reported a death toll of 788 with 2,502 individuals missing, while Chinese authorities disclosed 16 deaths and 546 missing on their side of the border. Among the missing are numerous individuals from various countries who were in the region for work, mountain visits, or pilgrimage. In Tibet, Chinese state media indicated that 261 foreigners were missing, including over 100 Nepalis and others worldwide.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed the safety of a previously missing Canadian and stated that 31 Canadians are still unaccounted for. Desperate families, like Seema Rawla’s, who is seeking her missing brother Sumit Rawla, are calling on the Canadian government for more assistance and resources. Rawla and other families have asked for thermal and infrared cameras to be shared with Nepal and requested individual points of contact for families involved in the search efforts.
Rescue operations are ongoing at multiple hydroelectric projects, including the Upper Trishuli complex, where approximately 350 individuals are suspected to be trapped inside a tunnel. Nepali troops, along with specialists from China and India, are leading these rescue efforts. In the severely affected Dhading region, residents are returning to damaged homes to salvage belongings, while workers are assessing the destruction at a critical power plant serving thousands of people.
The devastating flash floods were triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, causing a surge of water that swept through Tibet and Nepal, leading to widespread destruction. Nepal’s call for global action on climate change highlights the disproportionate impact on vulnerable nations like Nepal despite their minimal contribution to global emissions. Scientists caution that as the Earth warms due to human activities, the frequency of such disasters, especially in rapidly warming regions like the Himalayas, is likely to increase.