Nepal issues fresh flood warning as 3,000 still missing

The combined death toll from recent floods in Nepal and Tibet has reached 750, with over 3,000 people still unaccounted for, according to authorities. A new flood alert was issued after river levels rose again, and Tibetan officials reported a potentially dangerous barrier lake forming behind landslide debris. Scientists suspect a glacier collapse in the Himalayas may have triggered the disaster on Wednesday.

Nepal's disaster authority reported 734 deaths, while Chinese state media confirmed 16 fatalities in Tibet, including over a hundred Nepalis and victims from more than a dozen countries.

Residents along the Bhotekoshi River received flood warning notifications, urging them to seek higher ground. Nepalese authorities advised residents to move to higher ground via text message. Monitoring drones spotted a new lake forming near the Gyirong border port in Tibet, prompting the relocation of rescue teams due to the risk of the barrier breaking.

Nepalese rescuers were racing against time to locate over 100 hydropower workers trapped in flood-swollen tunnels. Teams from India and China have joined the rescue effort, alongside Nepal's mountain rescue squad, known for its expertise in high-altitude rescue operations like those on Mount Everest.

The Nepalese Foreign Ministry called for international assistance in areas such as tunnel rescue, DNA testing, and victim identification. The US State Department pledged $3.6 million in humanitarian aid, which includes emergency food assistance for up to 10,000 affected households for up to three months. The Red Cross estimates that approximately 90,000 people may have been impacted by the disaster.