Full story
Glacier trigger, mounting losses
Flash floods and debris flows that scientists believe came from a glacier collapse near the Langtang Lirung mountain peak swept through Nepal and Tibet, killing at least 1,273 people and leaving 4,757 missing, according to data from the two countries.
“The combined death toll from both countries stood at 1,273, while 4,757 people remained missing”
In Nepal, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said the death toll rose to 1,252 with 4,216 missing, including 583 foreigners, while Chinese authorities confirmed 21 deaths and 541 missing in Tibet, including 261 foreigners.
The disaster struck on August 26 when a glacier on Nepal’s Mount Langtang Lirung fractured at an altitude of about 5,200 metres, triggering an ice-rock avalanche that developed into a massive debris flow.
In Nepal’s Rasuwa district, families created funeral effigies using kaas-kush, or sacred grass, and performed final rites to "liberate the souls" of missing relatives after losing hope of finding their bodies.
Rescue efforts continued despite disrupted roads, power supplies and communications, with rescuers also trying to deliver relief supplies and maintain hygiene in shelters to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Hydropower tunnels and DNA
As search and rescue focused on hydropower facilities, the Nepali army said about 945 workers involved in hydropower projects remained missing, with those missing workers employed at 11 different hydropower projects extending along the Trishuli River in the districts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot.
Al Jazeera reported that more than 1,270 people had been killed and more than 4,700 were still missing, with Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority saying 1,252 bodies had been recovered and the total number of missing in the country remained at 4,216.
In Kathmandu, forensic teams were working to identify bodies, and Al Jazeera’s Jessica Washington said many of the bodies being found were in a state of decomposition.
Sanjay Kc, an officer from the Nepalese army engineering department, described the tunnel situation in Rasuwa as bulldozers removed mud blocking an entrance, saying, "Because it’s a big power house inside, so it’s a big room, and we feel that the whole power house is not flooded."
The United Nations Development Programme estimated floods and mudflows left at least 2.2 million tonnes of debris, while the same Al Jazeera report said authorities were using tools including zip lines and helicopters to rescue people trapped in remote villages.
UN warns of future risk
Beyond the immediate response, the UN warned that the Himalayan region faces severe risks from future glacial floods, with an assistant secretary-general telling Reuters that "Technology cannot move fast enough to prevent loss along these massive river systems".
“"Technology cannot move fast enough to prevent loss along these massive river systems"”
The Guardian reported that the Nepal-Tibet floods overran hydropower facilities, knocking out about 10% of Nepal’s power capacity, and said researchers identified 47 potentially dangerous glacial lakes in Nepal, China and India in 2020.
The Guardian also said the population at risk "goes into the millions", citing updated data compiled by the United Nations Development Programme and partner organisations in June.
In Kathmandu, Nepal’s prime minister Balendra Shah said the disaster highlighted the need to combat the climate crisis, writing that "This incident has indicated that the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing with climate change."
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China’s second batch of relief supplies for Nepal was expected to ship, including drones, DNA testing and water purification equipment, as Beijing said it would continue to "strongly support" Nepal’s disaster relief efforts.