Rescuers dig into tunnel as missing toll from Nepal, China flood tops 3,000

Fatal mudslide triggers search for over 3,000 missing in Nepal- China flood

Rescuers in Nepal and China worked through treacherous mud and rising rivers on Sunday to locate thousands of people missing after a catastrophic wall of water and debris swept through the Himalayas, destroying entire villages. The disaster, triggered by a glacial collapse on Wednesday morning, has left 3,044 people unaccounted for with 750 confirmed deaths and bodies possibly swept as far as India.

Nepali army troops and engineers have been working to rescue workers believed trapped in a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric site, inserting a pipe into the passage and sending air through the opening. Meanwhile, Chinese rescuers were moved to a safe location following the formation of a new lake by a landslide, which threatened their operations.

The disaster was caused by a glacier on the southern slope of Lirung Peak in Nepal fracturing, triggering an ice-rock avalanche that plummeted rapidly, forming a massive debris flow that traveled more than 20 kilometers before crashing into Gyirong Port. United Nations Climate Chief Simon Steill described the glacier collapse and flash flood as a "devastating reminder of how fragile these mountain environments can be."

Survivors face an agonizing wait to learn the fate of missing relatives and the prospect of rebuilding their lives from nothing. Buddhi Ram Dangol, a survivor from Nepal's Nuwakot district, lamented that "there is nothing left" after the flood. Over 589 foreigners, including trekkers and Hindu pilgrims to Tibet's sacred Mount Kailash, are unaccounted for.

International aid poured in, with the United States and Canada each pledging $3.6 million, the United Kingdom offering $6.8 million, and the United Nations releasing $2.5 million in emergency funding. The European Union promised $2.3 million, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched an emergency appeal for $31 million. Nepal's economy is already under pressure, with Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal estimating the reconstruction bill could run into "billions of dollars."

Malaysia pledged to send search and rescue specialists and contribute $1 million to Nepal's recovery efforts. Both Nepali and Chinese foreign ministers discussed sharing satellite and hydrological data to prevent further flooding.