Nepal-China: Nearly 1,000 dead and more than 4,700 missing after devastating floods

The death toll from the flash floods and landslides that struck the border between Nepal and China has risen to 919, with 4,793 people still missing, six days after the disaster. Among the missing are 853 foreign nationals, according to authorities in both countries.

Nepal has the highest number of victims, with 903 confirmed deaths and 4,247 missing. Rescue operations continue in several disaster areas, particularly around hydroelectric sites where hundreds of workers remain unaccounted for.
The missing include members of the security forces and the administration, but also 933 employees of hydroelectric power plants and 127 Nepalese travelers.

In China, Gyirong County in southwestern Tibet has recorded 16 deaths and 546 missing persons, including 261 foreigners. Beijing has mobilized more than 2,100 personnel and significant resources to participate in the search.

The disaster dates back to August 26, when a glacial collapse on Mount Langtang Lirung, at an altitude of approximately 5,200 meters in Nepal, triggered an avalanche of ice and rock. The phenomenon transformed into a powerful torrent of mud and debris that devastated several Nepalese districts before reaching the Chinese border area of ​​Gyirong.

The search continues as the scale of the damage and the high number of people still missing raise fears of a higher death toll.

Djamila Kambou