Death toll from Tibet landslides rises to 804, nearly 3,300 missing

A glacial collapse sent water and debris cascading through Himalayan valleys, destroying villages and damaging infrastructure along the China-Nepal border. The death toll from the flash floods and landslides has climbed to 804, with nearly 3,300 people still missing, according to latest figures released by authorities and local media.

In Nepal, 788 bodies have been recovered from flood-stricken areas, leaving 2,742 people unaccounted for, including numerous foreign nationals. Chinese authorities reported 16 fatalities and 546 missing individuals in Tibet. Search and rescue teams are working to locate the remaining 2,498 missing people, including 933 hydropower workers, 589 foreign nationals, 127 Nepalis traveling with foreign tourists, and residents from affected districts.

Nearly 20,000 security personnel have rescued 8,186 individuals, while helicopter operations evacuated 279 hydropower workers and 227 foreign nationals. Relief efforts include food and essential supplies distribution, medical team deployment, and government cash aid. Nepal's hospital mortuaries are at capacity as decomposing bodies strain identification efforts.

The US pledged over US$3.6 million in humanitarian aid for the flood-stricken nation. Nepal's police spokesperson noted that the distance bodies traveled by floodwaters has complicated identification, as many were found as mutilated, partial, or severed remains. Rugged terrain, steep mountains, and narrow gorges have further complicated search and rescue operations.

An 11-member tunnel rescue reconnaissance team from India has arrived to assist. Authorities are also monitoring a newly formed lake in the Himalayas that has raised fears of another disaster, though Chinese officials reported it had significantly shrunk and was nearly drained.