The death toll from devastating flash floods triggered by a glacier collapse in Nepal has risen to 579, while 1,924 people remain missing as rescue teams intensify efforts to locate survivors.
The disaster, which struck northern Nepal and neighbouring Tibet on Wednesday, has affected more than 90,000 people and destroyed roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure.
The floods also left hundreds of foreign tourists and pilgrims unaccounted for, particularly along the route linking Kathmandu with Lhasa in Tibet.
According to Reuters, rescue operations resumed on Friday after they were temporarily suspended over fears that a lake formed by flood debris could burst its banks and trigger another surge of water and mud.
Nepalese authorities said the immediate threat had eased sufficiently for search and rescue teams to return to affected areas, although two upstream barrier lakes remained under close monitoring.
The flooding was triggered when a glacier collapse sent huge volumes of rock, ice, mud and debris into Himalayan river systems, sweeping through communities and destroying homes, roads, bridges and power infrastructure.
At least 540 foreigners are among those reported missing in Nepal, with nationals from India, China, the United States, Malaysia, Ukraine, Britain, Australia and Canada among those affected.
China’s Tibet region has recorded five deaths, while 558 people remain missing in Gyirong County, including 260 foreign nationals, according to Chinese authorities.
In northern India, police said 10 bodies believed to have been swept downstream from Nepal had been recovered from rivers in Uttar Pradesh.
The scale of the disaster has overwhelmed local facilities, with emergency workers struggling to accommodate and identify recovered bodies.
In Bharatpur, a government building has reportedly been converted into a temporary mortuary after hospitals and existing morgues became overwhelmed.
Some of the recovered remains were badly damaged by the floodwaters, making identification difficult. Police have resorted to photographing identifiable bodies and displaying information to families searching for missing relatives.
Meanwhile, helicopters have been deployed to search remote valleys and deliver emergency supplies to communities cut off by destroyed roads and damaged communication networks.
More than 3,700 people have so far been rescued, including survivors trapped inside a tunnel at a hydroelectric project under construction.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said approximately 93,000 people had been affected and were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
Its head of delegation in Nepal, David Fisher, warned that the humanitarian situation could worsen if another major flood occurs.
“We’re of course very concerned about the secondary flood,” Fisher said, noting that relief trucks had been prevented from reaching affected areas by a lake created by the landslide.
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction also warned that the situation remained fluid, with the possibility of further hazards.
Nepal is using satellite imagery to monitor two barrier lakes upstream from the affected area. One of the lakes has reportedly expanded, raising concerns that continued water accumulation could result in another dangerous flood.
Chinese authorities have issued similar warnings over unstable glacial lakes and landslide risks in the region, despite the easing of the immediate threat from one flood-created lake.
The World Health Organisation said six health facilities had been damaged and eight healthcare workers were missing.
The agency warned that displacement, overcrowding and disruption to water, sanitation and healthcare services could increase the risk of infectious diseases, including diarrhoea and respiratory illnesses.
The disaster has prompted offers of assistance from several countries, including India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
However, Nepal said it did not currently require foreign search-and-rescue teams.
In China, President Xi Jinping’s government called for enhanced monitoring of glacier lakes and landslide risks, emergency assistance for affected communities and greater international cooperation on disaster response.
The disaster has renewed concerns over the vulnerability of Himalayan communities to climate-related hazards.
Scientists have warned that rising temperatures are contributing to the loss of Himalayan glaciers, increasing meltwater and weakening ice and rock structures, potentially heightening the risk of cascading floods and landslides.
As rescue operations continue, families have gathered at military bases and emergency centres, checking lists of rescued people and photographs of unidentified bodies in the hope of locating missing relatives.
Authorities said search operations would continue despite the difficult terrain, damaged infrastructure and persistent threat of further flooding.
