Kathmandu, Aug 31:
The death toll from the devastating flash floods and glacier-linked disaster along the Nepal-China border has climbed to nearly 800, with more than 3,000 people still missing as rescue teams race against time amid rising water levels and difficult terrain.
At least 788 people have been confirmed dead in Nepal, while China has reported 16 deaths in Tibet. The combined number of missing people has crossed 3,000, with Nepal accounting for more than 2,500 and China reporting 546 missing in Gyirong County.
The disaster began on August 26 after an ice-rock avalanche and subsequent flooding devastated communities in Nepal’s Rasuwa district and China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. The torrent swept away homes, roads, bridges, vehicles and hydropower infrastructure.
China has said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries are among the 546 people missing on its side of the border. The missing include 104 Nepalis, 49 Indians, 33 Latvians, 18 Americans and 15 Britons.
Rescue operations in Nepal remain severely challenging because of damaged roads and bridges, unstable terrain and continuing rainfall.