KATHMANDU, Nepal | Nepal and China resumed rescue operations Friday after fears of another major flood eased, as the death toll from a catastrophic glacial collapse and flash flood along their Himalayan border rose to at least 552, with nearly 1,000 people still missing.
Reuters reported that 547 people had died in Nepal and five in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. Nearly 1,000 others remained unaccounted for in the two countries, including hundreds of foreign nationals and pilgrims traveling toward Mount Kailash in Tibet. More than 90,000 people have been affected by the disaster, according to the Red Cross.
Rescue teams were briefly ordered to stop Friday after a newly formed barrier lake began overflowing, raising fears that another surge of water and debris could sweep downstream. The lake had accumulated more than 2.5 million cubic meters of water before overflowing into the Lhende Khola River and then the Trishuli River. Authorities later determined that the immediate risk had eased and operations resumed.
The disaster struck Wednesday after a massive collapse of rock and glacier material in the Himalayas sent water, ice, mud and debris racing through river valleys in Nepal and Tibet. AP reported that satellite imagery showed bedrock beneath a glacier had collapsed, carrying part of the glacier with it. The resulting impact produced a seismic signal measured at magnitude 5.2 and sent torrents through communities and infrastructure downstream.
In Nepal’s Rasuwa district, one of the worst-hit areas, the flood destroyed homes, roads, bridges, power facilities and sections of the route connecting Kathmandu with Tibet. Nepal’s army has been using helicopters and ground teams to evacuate survivors and search for people trapped in difficult terrain. More than 3,700 people had been rescued in Nepal by Friday, according to AP.
China has also intensified its response. President Xi Jinping ordered stronger monitoring of glacier lakes, landslide risks and other potential hazards, while Premier Li Qiang visited the disaster-hit Gyirong area. Beijing also called for greater international cooperation in disaster response.
Nepal has received offers of search-and-rescue assistance from several countries but has so far said it does not require foreign rescue teams. A South Korean emergency team is already in Kathmandu but has not been deployed. India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have offered assistance, Reuters reported.
The disaster highlights the vulnerability of communities along the Hindu Kush Himalaya, where steep terrain, unstable slopes, glaciers and rapidly changing water systems create serious flood and landslide risks. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said the August 26 event affected the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors and raised concerns about further downstream flooding.
Nepal has experienced other major disasters in its mountainous regions, including the 2014 Seti River flood and the 2015 earthquake, which killed nearly 9,000 people. The latest catastrophe is again highlighting the need for stronger early-warning systems, hazard monitoring and cross-border disaster coordination in the Himalayas.
Rescue workers continued searching for survivors Friday while authorities monitored the newly formed lake and other unstable areas for signs of further flooding.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
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