Nepal floods: Number of missing soars past 2,400

Nepal has experienced a catastrophic flooding event that has left over 2,400 people missing as of Friday. Rescue efforts, conducted by teams from Nepal and China, continue to struggle in the aftermath of the disaster. As of now, 586 bodies have been recovered, with some victims washing downstream as far as India. The disaster has affected large energy infrastructure projects in the region, prompting the addition of 933 hydropower workers to the list of missing persons.

Survivors have lost everything and now face the daunting task of discovering the fate of loved ones and rebuilding their lives from scratch. Buddhi Ram Dangol, a survivor, shared his harrowing experience, saying, "All the settlements near the river were swept away. There is nothing left." Samjhana Thing, whose brother is missing, expressed her hope that he is safe.

The rescue operation has been complicated by the sheer scale of the devastation, which has led to the formation of massive lakes, posing a threat to emergency workers. The International Red Cross estimates that around 93,000 people may have been impacted by the disaster, with the death toll likely to increase. Nepali police have urged rescuers to relocate to a safe location due to fears of further flooding on the Tibetan side.

On the Nepali side of the border, the military located people trapped in the Trishuli 3A hydropower project, where they were working to find survivors. Two helicopters were dispatched, but the challenge lies in locating the entry points of the tunnel. Over a hundred people remain trapped in the same area. In India, seven bodies have been recovered, believed to be flood victims. In Tibet, seven people have died, with 554 still missing, and 555 stranded tourists and 499 Chinese residents have been evacuated.