Catastrophic flash floods triggered by a glacial collapse along the Nepal-China border have left a combined death toll surpassing 950, with more than 4,400 people missing, according to official reports from Nepal’s disaster agency and Chinese authorities. Rescue teams are racing against time to reach approximately 900 hydropower workers unaccounted for across 12 damaged projects, with at least 500 believed trapped inside gigantic underground water-control tunnels in the Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.
Rescue Operations Focus on Trapped Hydropower Workers
Emergency crews are concentrating their efforts on massive tunnels built to control water flow at hydropower sites, according to details shared by the Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN). IPPAN President Mohan Kumar Dangi reported that at least 576 people are missing from the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project alone, with roughly 300 of those individuals believed trapped inside the project’s tunnel network. At the Trishuli-3 Hydropower Project, military crews are descending about 15 meters (50 feet) into blocked tunnels to reach potential survivors, according to Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, Nepal’s army spokesman.
Geoscientist Jakob Steiner of the University of Graz in Austria noted that the structures are large enough to drive trucks through. “From what we understand, they have managed to get oxygen to some of those stuck inside and are trying to rescue them now,” Steiner said, adding that finding sustenance remains an urgent hurdle. While some workers managed to call for help when the disaster struck, growing concerns over the past six days indicate that some trapped individuals may have suffocated in the thick mud.
Infrastructure Damage and Border Recovery
On the Chinese side of the border, state broadcaster CCTV showed workers utilizing heavy trucks to carry giant rocks and repave access roads leading to the Gyirong Port border crossing. Parts of the roadway remain submerged under 2 to 3 meters (6.6 to 9.8 feet) of rushing water, complicating heavy equipment deployment and rescue transport.
Disaster Toll Climbs as Families Search for Missing Travelers
Nepal’s disaster agency confirmed 939 deaths in the country, alongside 3,925 missing individuals, which includes 592 foreign nationals. Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing, with state media indicating that 261 of the missing are foreign visitors, including more than 100 Nepalis. Among the missing travelers is a group of 49 Indian pilgrims returning from Mount Kailash in Tibet.
Maraval Nagappan, who owns a Chennai-based travel company and organized the pilgrimage, traveled to Nepal to search for his missing son, Sathya Narayan. Surveillance footage reviewed by families showed water surging through the Chinese immigration complex where the group had been waiting to cross into Nepal. “I haven’t heard from my son since then. I don’t know whether he is alive or dead,” Nagappan told The Associated Press.
Did you know?
The catastrophic flash floods were sparked by a massive bedrock and glacier collapse high in the Himalayan region. The rockfall registered as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event before sending a massive torrent of melted water and debris downstream into Tibet and Nepal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the flash floods on the Nepal-China border?
According to satellite image analysis by scientists, bedrock underneath a Himalayan glacier collapsed, bringing down part of the glacier and triggering a magnitude 5.2 seismic event that swelled regional rivers.
How many people are missing following the disaster?
Combined totals indicate more than 4,400 people are missing across Nepal and China, including hundreds of hydropower workers trapped in underground tunnels.
Are rescue teams able to access the trapped workers?
Rescuers are utilizing helicopters, excavators, and pumps to clear heavy mud from tunnel entrances, though adverse weather, deep silt, and unstable terrain continue to hamper operations.