Death toll rises as rescuers search for victims of Nepal flood

The death toll in the Nepal flood has risen, with more than 470 people confirmed dead and over 1,500 still missing. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported that 970 people are missing, including 517 foreigners. Among the missing tourists are around 65 Americans and 180 Indians, according to the Nepal Tourism Board.

Chinese authorities confirmed three deaths and 550 missing, with nearly half of the missing being foreign tourists. The disaster struck as many Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims were traveling through the area towards sacred mountain lakes in Nepal and Tibet. The Gyirong Port, a major border crossing between Nepal and China, and an important trade route, was hit by the floodwater.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that a dammed lake upstream of the Gyirong Port in Tibet had begun overflowing, forcing a temporary suspension of rescue operations. Nepali authorities warned about additional flooding and urged residents and rescuers to take precautions. Experts believe that rock and ice from around 16,000 feet, possibly from a partial glacier collapse, plunged 4,000 feet into the valley below, creating a catastrophic wave of water that swept through towns and villages in both countries.

Thousands of military, police, and paramilitary forces have been deployed for search and rescue operations in Nepal. Injured and rescued individuals are being airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment, while recovered bodies are being brought to the capital for identification by relatives. In Kathmandu, the walls of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital were covered with photos of missing persons and victims of the flood.

Desperate families searched for news, with some relatives learning whether their loved ones were dead or alive. Dawa Wangmo Ghale, from Rasuwa, the first district to be hit by the flood, was searching for her brother who had traveled to the Nepal-China border the day before the disaster. Another woman, Pasang Chhomu Ghale, was rescued by helicopter on Wednesday but remains uncertain about the fate of others.

The hospital faced challenges in identifying the dead, and rescuers used photos of bodies carried over 100 miles to post at the hospital. Jit Bahadur Tamang, who arrived to claim remains for a relative, described the stench of the bodies and mentioned that his relative, Krishna Tamang, drowned while praying at a monastery along the Trishuli River when the flood hit.