The number of missing soared past 2,400 on Friday as emergency teams said they had recovered 586 bodies -- with some of the dead swept downstream as far away as India,
A fresh flood threat has emerged in downstream areas of Nepal’s Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa district after a new barrier lake formed near the river’s source, with Chinese authorities warning that the lake could breach.
Rescuers in Nepal and China were still battling Saturday to locate thousands of people missing days after a deadly, tsunami-like wall of water and debris swept through the Himalayan region, engulfing villages.
Meanwhile, 21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu have been rescued and returned to Delhi.
Cryosphere specialists at Nepal's ICIMOD, along with Chinese authorities, have warned of a secondary flash flood as a lake formed by Wednesday's mudslide faces a high risk of breaching, potentially sending floodwaters downstream.
Helpline numbers:
Indian Embassy in Kathmandu / MEA 24×7 control room: +977 985 131 6807, +977 970 910 7500, +977 981 032 6117
Nepal Police emergency: 100
Nepal Police toll-free: 16600141516
Rescue operations in the Trishuli region have been temporarily suspended after heavy rain caused river levels to rise, forcing authorities to halt helicopter operations. Residents living along the river have also been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Nepal PM Balen Shah said 15,431 security personnel have been deployed for rescue operations, with 4,451 people rescued so far, including 191 hydropower workers trapped in tunnels and 517 people rescued by helicopters.
The death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal has risen to 626, Nepal Police said.
Scores of Hindu devotees from across the world are reportedly among those missing on the border, as many were on a pilgrimage to Tibet’s Mount Kailash.
There is still no information about the whereabouts of 77 pilgrims associated with the Isha Foundation who have been missing since a devastating flash flood hit areas near the China-Nepal border two days ago, according to the group’s coordinator.
The pilgrims, who were travelling under the banner of the Isha Foundation founded by spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev, popularly known as Sadhguru, lost contact after the disaster struck in Gyirong, Tibet, near the Nepal border.
Maa Gambhiri, a coordinator with the group, said rescue operations were underway but authorities had yet to provide any information about the missing pilgrims.
Nepal has requested India and China to provide Bailey bridges to help restore connectivity after devastating floods damaged roads and bridges in the Himalayan region, the country’s foreign minister said.
The number of missing soared past 2,400 on Friday as emergency teams said they had recovered 586 bodies -- with some of the dead swept downstream as far away as India.