Nepal floods: Missing tally rises to 2,482, including 320 Indians; disaster toll hits 584

At least 584 people have died and 2,482 are missing after the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli disaster in Nepal and Tibet, with Nepal accounting for 579 deaths and 1,924 missing, and Tibet reporting five dead and 558 missing. Rescue teams across the border faced challenges as an unstable barrier lake overflowed, causing a fresh surge downstream and briefly halting operations, while another avalanche dumped an estimated 50,000 cubic meters of ice debris. Satellite images showed a second, larger upstream lake growing with no visible outlet.

Indian nationals are particularly affected, with 320 uncontactable in Nepal and around 100 of Indian origin also missing. India has not confirmed any deaths and is seeking clarity from Nepalese authorities. At least 84 Indian nationals have been rescued in Nepal, including 63 workers from Trishuli-1 and 21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, who reached Delhi on Friday. Additionally, 149 Indians crossed into Nepal from Tibet on Friday, and around 400 more are safe on the Chinese side.

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) reported that 4,451 people have been rescued, but the official missing count nearly doubled within hours to close to 2,000. Hydropower sites accounted for a significant portion of the missing, with 933 people linked to projects still unaccounted for, and over 1,000 workers potentially lost contact.

At the Korean-funded 216MW Upper Trishuli-1 project, around 400 workers took shelter in tunnels, with about 40 Indians and eight Koreans unaccounted for, and around 100 Chinese workers also missing. Rescuers are struggling to reach these trapped individuals due to the challenging terrain and washed-out roads and tunnel approaches, though some can be reached by helicopters.

In Tibet's Gyirong County, China reported five deaths and 558 missing, including 260 foreign nationals. Beijing has not released a breakdown of the missing foreigners by nationality. Chinese authorities moved all stranded tourists out of the accessible Gyirong area, evacuating 555 tourists and moving 499 villagers and construction workers affected by the disaster to shelters or safe locations.

No tourists remain stranded in the areas covered by this evacuation operation, although hundreds of people are still officially missing in the wider disaster zone.