Death toll from devastating Nepal-Tibet floods passes 500

The death toll from devastating floods bordering Nepal and Tibet has surpassed 500, with 547 confirmed fatalities and 1,473 injured, according to Nepal Police. Over 4,000 police personnel are deployed to combat the disaster, while more than 1,000 individuals remain missing in Nepal and neighboring China. The Red Cross estimates that more than 90,000 people have been directly affected by the landslide and require urgent humanitarian aid.

David Fisher, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies delegation in Nepal, stated that at least 93,000 people are in dire need of assistance. Authorities monitor two lakes upstream of the flood zone, with one beginning to overflow on Friday. Rescue teams continue to search for survivors as a wall of ice, mud, and rock collapsed into a mountain river, triggering a catastrophic flash flood.

Nepal is employing helicopters to locate survivors and deliver emergency supplies to thousands stranded in villages and valleys after the floods destroyed a road linking Kathmandu and Lhasa in Tibet. The UAE pledged a $10 million humanitarian aid package to support relief efforts, with Dr Tareq Al Amiri, chairman of the UAE Aid Agency, emphasizing sustained leadership in disaster response.

Local hospitals in Nepal report staff working tirelessly to treat the injured, including those who lost family members in the floods, such as Girilal Budhathoki and his brother Newall.