Search and rescue operations resumed in Nepal and China on Friday\n(28\/8\/2026) after a devastating flood struck the Himalayan region.\nChinese rescue teams reached the Gyirong border complex for the first\ntime, finding the area almost entirely reduced to rubble.<\/p>\n
The disaster began on Wednesday when a glacier collapse triggered a\nmassive flow of rock, ice, mud and other material that tore through the\nriver system in the Himalayan region. At least 579 people died in Nepal\nand seven others were killed in Tibet, China.<\/p>\n
Nepal\u2019s disaster management authority said on Friday that the number\nof people still missing had nearly doubled to 1,924. Meanwhile, 558\npeople were reported missing in Gyirong County, Tibet, according to\nChinese state broadcaster CCTV.<\/p>\n
Of all those missing in the disaster, at least 540 were foreign\nnationals, most of them Hindu pilgrims from India.<\/p>\n
Surveillance camera footage from the Gyirong border complex showed\ntorrents of water mixed with landslide material striking buildings and\npeople attempting to flee.<\/p>\n
Rescue teams were only able to reach the area on Friday. Chinese\nstate media reported that a team of 21 rescuers and a search dog had to\ncross mountains and valleys, using ropes to traverse forests and steep\ncliffs. Road access to the border complex had been destroyed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no road, it is all untouched forest and steep cliffs,\u201d said\nrescue officer Zou Mingqi, as quoted by Reuters.<\/p>\n
Upon arriving at the complex, Zou said, \u201cas far as the eye can see,\nthere is nothing but rubble.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Red Cross estimated that more than 90,000 people have been\naffected by the disaster.<\/p>\n
The flood also caused the formation of a lake that began overflowing\ninto the Lhende Khola and Trishuli rivers on Friday. The overflow\ntriggered panic and warnings from Nepali authorities, causing rescue\noperations to be halted for about three hours.<\/p>\n
The threat also prompted all Chinese rescue personnel and vehicles to\nbe withdrawn from the site, according to CCTV. After conditions were\ndeemed safer, search and rescue operations resumed in both\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Nepali officials said they still hoped to find survivors.<\/p>\n
Amid the search efforts, Nepal is monitoring two lakes formed by\nnatural dams upstream of the flood-affected area. An official warned\nthat the flood risk would persist until both lakes fully drain.<\/p>\n
Satellite imagery showed the second lake continuing to expand with no\nvisible outlet, raising concerns that water pressure could still\nincrease.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted analysis from the\nMinistry of Water Resources saying the first lake had begun to shrink.\nHowever, a Chinese geohazard expert warned that the lake could still be\nunstable.<\/p>\n
Additionally, more than 100 glacial lakes are scattered across the\nregion and are considered potential threats.<\/p>\n
In Beijing, a Politburo meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping\ncalled for strengthened monitoring of glacial lakes and landslide risks.\nChina also called for increased international cooperation in disaster\nresponse.<\/p>\n
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, the country\u2019s number two official, arrived\nin the Gyirong area on Thursday afternoon. The visit signalled that\nBeijing is treating the disaster as one of its highest national\npriorities.<\/p>\n
The Gyirong border port plays an important role in China\u2019s Belt and\nRoad network connecting the country with South Asia. Over the past\ndecade, the area has also been equipped with logistics zones and parking\nareas.<\/p>\n
In the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police told Reuters that 10\nbodies had been found at three locations in rivers flowing from\nNepal.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Nepali rescue teams used helicopters to search for survivors\nand drop emergency aid to thousands of people isolated in various towns\nand valleys.<\/p>\n
Dibga Tamang was one of the latest victims rescued from Rasuwa on\nThursday. He was flown with three others to a military base in\nNuwakot.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll our people are gone. They are dead,\u201d Tamang said. \u201cThere is no\none left waiting for me. Everything and everyone is gone. It is\nover.\u201d<\/p>\n
The military base in the area was filled with residents seeking\ninformation about missing or deceased family members. Bodies were\nbrought to the barracks, while lists of those rescued were posted\noutside.<\/p>\n
In various countries, families of missing victims are still waiting\nfor certainty about the whereabouts of their relatives.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the United Nations and its partners are also stepping up\naid delivery. Around 20,000 households are estimated to need food\nassistance, while more than 50,000 people need clean water and emergency\nsupport, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.<\/p>\n
Several countries have offered search and rescue assistance. However,\nthe Nepali government said it did not yet need help from other\ncountries.<\/p>\n
A South Korean rapid response team in Kathmandu has also not been\ndeployed because Nepal has no plans to accept foreign rescue teams,\naccording to South Korea\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.<\/p>\n
The Kathmandu Post reported that India, China, the United States, the\nUnited Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have asked\nthe Nepali government to allow their search and rescue teams to assist\nin the disaster response.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nepal-flash-flood-update-death-toll-rises-new-danger-emerges-1787975445", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }