Ankara: The death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal and China rose to 543, with more than 1,200 people, most of them foreign nationals, still missing as Kathmandu began assessing the damage on Friday, according to officials.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Nepalese government announced that the death toll from Wednesday's floods had reached 538, as reported by the Kathmandu Post. Meanwhile, China confirmed two additional deaths on Friday, raising the death toll to five in the southwestern Xizang Autonomous Region, also known as Tibet, as reported by state-run Xinhua News. The latest casualties brought the combined death toll to 543.
The floods and landslides struck northern and central Nepal early Wednesday, sweeping through communities along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, carrying people and debris downstream. The government stated that the deceased are being recovered far downstream. Nepali authorities issued a new warning of additional floods on Friday after a large barrier lake formed amid flash floods was reportedly breached, sending surging waters into Nepalese rivers.
Nepal's Foreign Ministry reported that 596 people from 33 countries were still missing. Additionally, 127 Nepalese nationals remained unaccounted for, according to the Nepal Tourism Board. China reported that 558 people, including 260 foreigners, were still missing in Tibet as search and rescue operations continued. Combined figures from Nepal and China showed approximately 1,281 people, including 856 foreigners, were still missing. Notably, most of the missing foreigners, 288, are from neighboring India, including 73 nationals working on the Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project.
Hundreds of residents, construction workers, and tourists in affected areas of Gyirong County in Tibet have been evacuated and resettled in safer locations, as reported by the Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency. According to the International Red Cross, "current estimates suggest around 93,000 people may have been affected, while assessments continue in hard-to-reach areas." Many homes were destroyed or severely damaged, and multiple bridges were washed away with major roads damaged, cutting off some of the worst-affected communities. The remoteness of the affected areas, combined with damaged infrastructure, is making it harder both to assess the full scale of the disaster and to deliver assistance to those who need it most.
Nepal's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lok B. Chhetri, informed Anadolu that the government had begun assessing the damage caused by the disaster. "Our security agencies are currently handling the situation effectively," Chhetri stated in a written statement. When asked whether Nepal had sought international aid, Chhetri mentioned that requests could be made for any specific and specialized service as operations continued. The extent of the disaster remained unclear as authorities continued to reconcile casualty and missing-person reports from different areas.
"Given the massive damage to critical infrastructure, assessments are underway and help needed will be sought as necessary," Chhetri stated. The floods and landslides swept away homes, bridges, roads, and other infrastructure in northern and central Nepal, leaving communities and travelers cut off from the rest of the country. Search and rescue operations continued, with the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force deployed for search, rescue, and evacuation efforts. Helicopters were being used to reach isolated areas and evacuate survivors, while ground teams continued searching riverbanks and downstream settlements. The Nepal Tourism Board continued to verify the whereabouts of tourists and travelers who were in or passing through Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading when the floods struck. The floods also severely damaged transport links and other infrastructure, complicating rescue efforts in affected areas.
Source: Anadolu Agency