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Rescue teams are working to reach around 100 hydropower workers believed to be trapped inside several tunnels in Nepal’s Rasuwa district.
Damaged houses lie deluged in sludge after flash floods at Trishuli Center in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on August 31. (AFP photo)
Rescuers battled mud, debris and difficult terrain for a sixth day on Monday as the death toll from devastating glacial floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to at least 939, with nearly 4,500 people still missing.
The floods, triggered by a glacial collapse near the China-Nepal border, sent a huge surge of water, rocks and debris through villages and towns last Wednesday. At least 17 bodies have also been recovered from rivers downstream in India.
Rescue Teams Race To Reach Trapped Workers
Rescue teams are working to reach around 100 hydropower workers believed to be trapped inside several tunnels in Nepal’s Rasuwa district.
Three bodies have so far been recovered from two tunnels, while mud and debris have blocked access to the affected areas. An Indian Army officer involved in the tunnel rescue operation said teams were digging through thick sludge but remained hopeful of finding survivors.
Nepal has deployed around 20,600 personnel for rescue and relief operations, while more than 3,100 people have been rescued from affected areas.
The scale of the disaster has left entire communities devastated, with roads destroyed, bridges swept away and power plants damaged.
Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah has called the disaster as “unimaginable and heartbreaking”.
Bodies Recovered As Families Search For Missing
With mortuaries overwhelmed, Nepal has begun burying unidentified bodies after collecting DNA samples so they can potentially be identified and returned to families later.
Relatives have been gathering at community centres to look at images of recovered bodies in the hope of finding missing loved ones. Nepal has also appealed for international assistance, saying it needs more than 1,000 freezer units to store bodies.
Among those listed as missing in Nepal are 592 foreigners, including trekkers and Hindu pilgrims travelling to Tibet’s Mount Kailash.
In Tibet, China has reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people. More than 2,000 personnel are involved in rescue operations there, but access to the disaster’s epicentre remains difficult.
Tibetan advocacy groups have questioned China’s casualty figures and called for more information. Beijing has rejected claims that it is underreporting deaths, saying the release of information has been “open, transparent and timely”.
Climate Change Raises Fresh Concerns
The US Geological Survey said the disaster was triggered by a glacial collapse. Scientists have warned that rising global temperatures are accelerating glacier melt across the Himalayas and increasing the risk of glacial disasters.
“The people of Nepal are one of the major victims of the changing climate and its impact,” Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said.
The UN children’s agency called the situation as an “unfolding disaster”, warning that tens of thousands of people have been affected and that humanitarian needs are vast.
(With inputs from AFP)
Quick Answers
Ask News18International aid can help Nepal and Tibet recover through financial assistance, relief supplies, and specialised rescue teams. The World Bank has pledged Nepalese Rs 25 billion in emergency financial assistance to Nepal. The European Union promised two million euros in aid for Nepal, and the United States has pledged $3.
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September 01, 2026, 04:01 IST
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