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

BIDUR, Nepal - Rescuers in Nepal and China grappled through treacherous mud and rising waters to locate the thousands missing following a catastrophic flood caused by a glacial collapse on the China-Nepal border. As of now, 3,048 people remain unaccounted for, with 768 confirmed deaths, including hundreds of foreigners. The disaster, triggered by a glacier fracture on the southern slope of Lirung Peak in Nepal, swept through villages, engulfing entire settlements and sending bodies downstream as far as India.

Nepal's army troops and engineers have begun the grim task of burying some of the bodies, conducting DNA tests to reunite families with their loved ones. The disaster has put Nepal's economy under immense strain, with a reconstruction bill potentially reaching billions of dollars. Foreign aid pledges from the United States, Canada, the UK, and other nations total US$14.5 million.

Nepal's disaster authority warns that the newly formed lake poses a risk of further flooding, as authorities work to drain it.