Poor weather conditions on Saturday continued to hamper aerial rescue operations in Nepal as the search for hundreds of missing people in areas devastated by flash floods along the border with China entered its fourth day. Rescue workers and military personnel have been working continuously since Wednesday's disaster, which has resulted in nearly 600 confirmed deaths and left almost 2,500 people unaccounted for.
Helicopter operations were on hold as of Saturday morning until weather conditions improved, according to Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, a Nepali Army spokesperson. Search and rescue efforts persisted at multiple locations in Nepal and China's Tibet region, including the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Nepal's Rasuwa district and the heavily damaged Gyirong border crossing on the Chinese side.
Authorities believe over 100 individuals may be trapped in a tunnel filled with thick mud at the hydropower construction site. Rescuers have utilized baskets and ropes to reach some people, but the operation remains challenging due to significant mud accumulation and limited landing zones for helicopters. Teams have also temporarily relocated due to warnings of potential further flooding.
Rescuers have been on high alert for additional flooding from a newly formed lake in the Himalayan mountains, which experts warned was beginning to overflow. This lake was created after a glacier collapse triggered the initial floods. However, monitoring data from China's Ministry of Water Resources indicated late Friday that the lake's size had decreased, with its water level dropping by 10 meters (32 feet) from its peak on Thursday morning.
Images from the Chinese broadcaster CCTV showed rescuers reaching Gyirong Port, the severely affected border crossing with Nepal, some by foot, others via rafts, and some were lowered by drones. Rescuers were heard calling out for survivors in footage shared by the broadcaster. The number of people at the border checkpoint building when the floods struck remains unclear.
Nepal's disaster-management authority reported 579 deaths as of Friday, while Nepali police later stated the death toll was 553. On the Chinese side, the death toll rose to seven by Friday, with state media documenting evacuations and relief efforts. More than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal to date. The number of missing in Nepal nearly doubled to 1,924 as more local residents were added to the count. China's state media reported 554 people missing on its side. Hundreds of those missing are foreign nationals who were in the region for work, trekking, or pilgrimage.