Kathmandu (GNP): The death toll from a catastrophic flash flood that struck the Nepal-Tibet border region has climbed to 475, Nepal Police confirmed, more than 48 hours after a glacier collapse triggered a massive torrent of water, rock, and debris through Himalayan river systems. Rescue and search operations are continuing, and authorities are also working to clear roadblocks from the worst-affected areas.
The flood tore through towns and valleys along the route connecting Kathmandu with Lhasa in Tibet, a corridor widely used by trekkers and pilgrims, destroying power stations, roads, and bridges in the process. Hundreds of people remain missing on both sides of the border, with foreign nationals accounting for a significant share of those unaccounted for. Indian nationals form the largest group of affected foreign visitors, though Americans, including a group of trekkers from northern Virginia, are also among the missing.
Nepal’s army has rescued 900 people from the hardest-hit Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, including 119 foreign nationals, all of whom are receiving hospital treatment for injuries. Brigadier General Rajaram Basnet, an army spokesman, said unpredictable weather and rain have made operations increasingly difficult, though intensified efforts continue in coordination with all stakeholders. Says Basnet, “I haven’t seen this kind of disaster in my life.”
Concern is mounting over the risk of a second, potentially larger flood. A debris-blocked lake on the Bhotekoshi River is rising and at risk of bursting, while Chinese authorities have reported that roughly three million cubic metres of additional water is expected to flow into an already dammed lake on the Tibetan side over the coming days, with peak flow anticipated around September 1.
Citing this danger, Chinese authorities have suspended rescue efforts near the border crossing area, and an eight-member Chinese engineering team has been deployed to conduct aerial surveys and modelling of the barrier lake in order to plan a controlled drainage channel.
On the Chinese side, three deaths have been confirmed and more than 550 people remain missing in Tibet’s Gyirong County, including 260 foreign nationals, though it remains unclear whether these figures overlap with those reported in Nepal. China’s Premier Li Qiang visited the disaster site in Gyirong, signalling that Beijing is treating the event as a matter of national priority.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah visited the flood-hit Nuwakot district and said state agencies are operating at full capacity. Says Shah, “Our first priority now is to save the life of each citizen, search and rescue the missing, treat the injured, and provide immediate relief.”
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Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah said, we are deeply grateful to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the people of Pakistan for their warm sympathy and solidarity, and we convey our profound condolences to the families affected by yesterday’s tragic incident at PIMS, Islamabad, while praying for the early recovery of the injured.
For families of the missing, the wait for information continues across borders. Relatives in Nepal have been gathering at recovery centres for updates, while officials in both countries say identification and relief efforts will continue as access to isolated areas improves.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
