Nepal floods: death toll passes 390, over 1,500 missing

Nepal has witnessed a devastating flood event that has claimed over 390 lives and left more than 1,500 people missing, according to official reports. The disaster was triggered by the collapse of a mud and rock mass into a Himalayan river, leading to flash flooding in mountainous regions and towns. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with search teams navigating through thick mud to locate the missing individuals. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited the affected area in Tibet to oversee rescue and relief operations.

Nepal’s tourism department reported that 668 tourists from 34 countries were unaccounted for since Wednesday, with the majority being involved in trekking excursions. The missing include 177 from India, 90 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from the United Kingdom, and 25 from Canada. Chinese officials have confirmed that 100 Chinese nationals are among those unaccounted for.

Search and rescue operations face significant challenges due to damaged infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, making it difficult for teams to access the impacted areas. Rescue teams have been utilizing helicopters to transport survivors to hospitals for treatment and to deliver emergency supplies to isolated communities. In addition to the human toll, the disaster has impacted 15 hydropower projects, resulting in a loss of approximately 431 megawatts of power generation capacity.

Healthcare workers in the affected regions have reported severe injuries, including broken ribs and skin burns. The rising floodwaters have formed a lake at the disaster site, posing a risk of further bursting. The Nepalese government has deployed over 5,000 army and police personnel to assist in the rescue operations, and India has evacuated thousands of people from neighboring states bordering Nepal.

The disaster has raised concerns about Nepal's vulnerability to climate-related hazards, with experts highlighting the country's limited resources to cope with such events. Both Nepal and India have extended humanitarian assistance, with India providing aid to affected districts along the Nepal-China border. The United Nations has also allocated funds from its Global Emergency Fund to support relief efforts in Nepal.