Rescue operations are currently intensifying in Nepal’s Nuwakot district and Tibet’s Gyirong County to locate survivors trapped in mud and hydropower tunnels.
The scale of the disaster became clearer Friday as Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority raised the death toll to 579. In Tibet, Chinese state media reported five additional deaths. The number of people unaccounted for in Nepal has doubled to 1,924, while China reports 558 people missing in Gyirong County.
Glacial Collapse and the 250-Foot Wall of Debris
What was initially reported as a 4.4 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday morning was later confirmed to be a massive glacial collapse. According to Nepalese scientists, a large ice chunk broke off and pulverized upon impact in the valley below, creating a 5.2 magnitude seismic event. This ice immediately mixed with water and mud, forming a 250-foot-tall wall of debris that demolished buildings and bridges.
Jakob Steiner, a geoscientist at the University of Graz, noted that satellite imagery of the event showed a lower portion of a glacier had detached, describing the visual as if someone cut with a huge knife through the whole lower part
of the ice and rock.
Rescue Operations in Nuwakot and the Upper Trishuli-1 Tunnel
In Nepal, 15,000 security personnel have been deployed. Efforts are heavily concentrated in the Nuwakot district, where helicopters have carried more than 3,000 people to safety. While the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reports nearly 800 rescued persons, other sources indicate over 3,700 have been saved so far.
One of the most critical recovery sites is a hydropower tunnel in Rasuwa, part of the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project. Rescuers are working to extract dozens of people trapped inside the structure, which has been largely buried by mud.
“It is complicated to find the entry and exit points of the tunnel because everything has been covered by mud. Our first priority is rescuing the stranded people.”
Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, Army spokesperson
Foreign Nationals and International Aid
The disaster has affected a significant number of foreign nationals who were trekking or making pilgrimages to sacred peaks. There are missing citizens from 36 different countries.
| Country | Reported Missing / Uncontactable |
|---|---|
| India | 183 to 320 |
| United States | At least 65 |
| Ukraine | 62 |
| United Kingdom | 33 |
The discrepancy in Indian casualty figures is notable; while the BBC reported 183 missing, Randhir Jaiswal of the Indian External Affairs Ministry stated that 320 Indian nationals remain uncontactable. India is responding by sending a tunnel rescue team, relief supplies, and a prefabricated bridge to restore connectivity.
- Japan: Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi confirmed two emergency relief team members are starting operations and Japan will provide relief goods.
Tibet Border Risks and the Barrier Lake
On the Chinese side, the Ministry of Emergency Management has deployed two rescue teams, including a search dog and 13 experts. Footage from CCTV showed rescuers using drones to lower personnel onto the banks of the Gyirong River to deploy inflatable boats near the decimated Gyirong Port.
A primary concern for officials in both countries has been a “barrier lake” formed by debris high in the mountains. The Nepal Police issued an alert Friday after reports that a dam on the Tibetan side was running over. However, China’s state broadcaster CCTV later reported that the water level of the lake has dropped 10 meters (32 feet) from its Thursday peak, suggesting the risk may be manageable.
Ongoing Threats from Hanging Glaciers
The immediate crisis is compounded by the threat of further collapses. Scientists are currently monitoring two other nearby glaciers that show visible cracks in the ice. Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at ICIMOD, warned that hanging glacier ice masses warrant observation because they cling to steep slopes, making them more hazardous.
The Red Cross estimates that roughly 90,000 people have been impacted by the flooding. While Nepal’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri stated that the country does not need foreign search and rescue teams for now
, the government remains open to targeted technical expertise as the search for the missing continues.
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- Devastating Floods in Nepal and Tibet: Death Toll Mounts to 469, International Relief Efforts Underway – Nepal Floods 2023, Tibet Floods, Himalayan Disasters (archyworldys.com)