Nepal-China Flood Disaster Death Toll Surpasses 1,000 as Thousands Remain Missing

By Staff, Agencies

The death toll from devastating flash floods and mudslides along the Nepal-China border has surpassed 1,000, one week after the disaster struck the Himalayan region, according to official figures released Tuesday.

Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said search and rescue teams had confirmed 84 additional deaths, bringing the number of fatalities in Nepal to 987. Another 3,916 people remain missing, including 583 foreign nationals.

Among those unaccounted for are 639 workers stationed at hydropower facilities across Nepal, authorities said.

On the Chinese side, officials have confirmed 16 deaths and continue to search for 546 missing people, including 261 foreign nationals.

Combined figures from Nepal and China put the overall death toll at 1,003, while approximately 4,462 people remain missing. Foreign nationals account for 844 of those missing.

The disaster began on August 26 when a glacier on Mount Langtang Lirung in Nepal fractured at an elevation of around 5,200 meters. The collapse triggered a massive avalanche of ice and rock, which developed into a powerful debris flow and swept through valleys along the Nepal-China border.

Floodwaters and mudslides caused widespread destruction across Nepal, affecting Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Kavre districts as well as the Kathmandu Valley. On the Chinese side, the Gyirong border crossing in southwestern Tibet, officially known as the Xizang Autonomous Region, was also heavily damaged and buried under debris.

Indian and Chinese nationals make up a significant proportion of the missing foreigners. Officials reported that 275 Indian citizens and 100 Chinese citizens remain unaccounted for.

As recovery operations continue and more bodies are discovered, Nepal has requested additional equipment, including body-storage freezers, DNA testing kits, remote-sensing technology and drones capable of surveying affected areas.

China, India and South Korea have sent personnel to assist with search and rescue operations.

Rescue efforts remain extremely difficult because of damaged roads, rugged mountain terrain and destroyed infrastructure. Communication has also been severely affected.

Chinese state media reported that rescue teams eventually reached the Gyirong border crossing after a 10-hour trek. Once there, however, they found little evidence of the buildings and infrastructure that had previously occupied the Chinese side of the border, highlighting the scale of the destruction.