A massive flash flood, believed to have been triggered by a glacial collapse, swept through a Himalayan valley last Wednesday, wiping out villages.
Nearly 12,000 people have since been rescued, according to Nepal’s disaster management agency.
But thousands more, including hundreds of foreign nationals – from India, the UK, Australia, the US, Malaysia, and more – are still missing. A week on, fears are growing that the death toll will only rise.
Chinese state media has not reported any survivors on the Tibetan side of the border, but the search continues. Beijing, which annexed Tibet in the 1950s, tightly controls the region. All information comes from state media and foreign journalists cannot travel there without permission.
Rescuers using heavy machinery, working around the clock, have been able to re-open the route to the Gyirong border crossing between Nepal and Tibet and clear the road of debris, which will accelerate the search for the missing, Chinese state media said.
Rescue operations continue in challenging conditions, and experts from China and India are helping build temporary bridges to reach remote areas. Drones are being deployed over hard-to reach areas to scan for survivors.
The UN’s humanitarian agency said the main challenge is now access, with more than 40 bridges destroyed.
The most remote communities are relying on army helicopter flights for supplies, and villages are still struggling for fuel and electricity.
