Experts fear that the glaciers responsible for the recent catastrophic flooding in Nepal and China remain at major risk of collapse, potentially triggering another surge of water, ice, and debris. This warning comes as the death toll from the August 26 disaster surpassed 1,000, with rescue teams racing against time to reach communities cut off by the devastation.
China's Ministry of Water Resources issued a warning about the significant risk posed by glaciers surrounding the Cuojian River in Nepal, where a glacial collapse unleashed large amounts of rock, ice, and meltwater into valleys across Nepal and Tibet. The floodwaters swept away homes, buildings, roads, and bridges, causing widespread destruction.
While water levels in a barrier lake formed after the initial flooding have decreased, the ministry cautioned that unstable glaciers downstream could lead to further inundation. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery from Monday morning indicated that the water body at the impact crater on Nepal's Cuojian River had shrunk from 108,000 square meters to approximately 83,000 square meters. However, further landslides could still block the river and create a new barrier lake.
Meanwhile, China's Meteorological Administration has issued a forecast for additional rain in Gyirong county, Tibet, over the next three days, urging rescuers to remain on high alert as the precipitation could complicate efforts and make roads treacherous.
Rescue Operations Underway
Authorities are actively searching for thousands of people still unaccounted for and assisting survivors in areas with damaged transportation routes. The immediate priority for rescue teams is locating at least 900 workers missing from 12 hydropower projects affected by the flash floods. Approximately 500 of these individuals are believed to be trapped inside tunnels.
Nepal Army spokesperson Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet confirmed that teams, supported by foreign experts, are working at several hydropower projects to access people trapped in blocked tunnels. Images released by the army show rescue personnel entering dark, debris-filled tunnels, navigating mud and water, and moving over rocks in their search for survivors. At the Upper Trishuli 3A site, rescuers managed to breach the upper section of a mud-filled tunnel, pumping air into it and using heavy machinery to excavate.
Kulman Gsising, former head of many of the affected hydro projects, described the challenging conditions. "It's impossible to say how long the workers will be able to survive because we just don't know the condition of the tunnels," he stated, estimating that 300 workers might be inside six to eight tunnels. He expressed concern that oxygen and food supplies might be inadequate, noting that one tunnel reached was completely filled with water and mud, while another yielded no response when rescuers called out.
Gsising, who previously served as Nepal's Energy Minister, reported that "the whole area has been destroyed and many villages and hydropower projects have been wiped off the face of the earth." He emphasized the desperate race against time to find the missing.
The Nepal Electricity Authority reported that 11 hydropower stations and one solar power station, accounting for about 10 percent of the country's installed electricity generation capacity, have ceased operations. Additionally, 15 under-construction power projects were damaged.
Humanitarian Impact and International Appeal
Emotional scenes have unfolded at the Nepal Electricity Authority's head office in Kathmandu, where relatives of missing workers gather anxiously awaiting news. Many hydropower projects and villages have been completely destroyed, leaving tens of thousands impacted.
The scale of the aid needed is immense. Roads have been washed away, power plants obliterated, and numerous bridges destroyed. "This is an unfolding disaster," said Abiodun Banire, a UN Children's Fund official.
With mortuaries overwhelmed, Nepal has begun burying hundreds of recovered bodies after collecting DNA samples for later identification. Kathmandu has appealed for international assistance, requesting "more than a thousand" freezer units to store the bodies. Relatives are reviewing images of recovered bodies at community centers in hopes of identifying loved ones.
Among the missing are 592 foreigners, including tourists and pilgrims. On the Chinese side, rescue efforts are concentrated in areas affected by mudslides, particularly around the destroyed Gyirong Port border crossing. Rescuers, aided by search dogs, are working to clear debris and reopen a major highway to facilitate the delivery of essential equipment and personnel.