Number of missing in deadly Nepal, China floods jumps past 2,400

The death toll from devastating floods in Nepal and China has surged past 2,400, according to the latest figures released on Friday. The disaster, caused by a glacial collapse, swept through villages in Nepal, claiming hundreds of lives. Rescuers continue to battle through muddy conditions, retrieving bodies and recovering survivors.

As of now, emergency teams have recovered 586 bodies, with some of the deceased swept downstream as far as India. The Nepali disaster authority has added 933 hydropower workers to the missing persons list, joining trekkers and pilgrims to Mount Kailash. Relatives of the missing have crowded hospitals, anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.

The US Geological Survey attributed the disaster to the glacial collapse, which triggered a vast flow of icy debris and formed large lakes that pose a threat to rescue workers. Nepali police urged rescuers to move to safe locations, citing information about a burst water dam on the Tibetan side. In Tibet, China suspended rescue operations due to the risk of renewed flooding but later reported the threat had eased.

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered help to Nepal's emergency operations. Rescue teams have been racing to locate survivors in devastated zones, with the Nepali military successfully locating people trapped in a tunnel of the Trishuli 3A hydropower project. However, efforts to rescue over 100 people still remain ongoing. Scores of Hindu devotees, many on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, are among the missing on the border.