Devastating floods and mudslides along the Nepal-China border have resulted in at least 676 fatalities, with nearly 3,000 people still unaccounted for. Nepali authorities updated the figures on Saturday, consolidating reports from Nepal and the Tibet region.
Chinese authorities have reported seven deaths and over 550 missing, while Nepal's disaster agency indicated 669 deaths and 2,426 missing. The combined toll places the number of dead at 676 and missing at nearly 3,000, according to The Associated Press.
The disaster, believed to have been triggered by a large ice chunk breaking off a glacier and falling into the Lhende Khola River, has complicated rescue efforts. Damaged roads and communication disruptions are hindering search and rescue operations. Intermittent rain is expected throughout the weekend, further impeding efforts.
"Search and rescue operations have been temporarily halted because it is raining, and the weather is foggy," Narendra Pariyar, a top official for Nepal's Rasuwa district, told Reuters.
While Nepal has stated it does not require international assistance for general search and rescue, it has requested specialized help from China. Specifically, Nepal has asked for tunnel experts as approximately 100 individuals are reported trapped in a mud-filled hydropower plant tunnel.
"We have already made requests for such specialised services and technical assistance in areas where we don't have enough expertise and technical know-how," Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told Reuters. China has dispatched five workers from Tibet by helicopter to assist in these efforts, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Dramatic video footage captured the rescue of one individual from the mud deluge by Nepali authorities. Despite the challenging weather, officials have noted that a previous threat posed by a newly formed lake on the Nepal-Tibet border has substantially subsided. This lake had been overflowing into the Lhende Khola River, raising concerns of further flooding, but that risk has diminished.
Nepal's finance minister, Swarnim Wagle, has estimated that the country will require over $4 billion for reconstruction efforts following the disaster. "This is just an estimate. Loss and damage is being assessed," he told Reuters.
