Kathmandu: Nepal and China's Tibet Autonomous Region are continuing their search and rescue operations for the fourth day following flash floods and landslides in the Himalayas, with the number of missing rising to nearly 2,000. Meanwhile, Chilean experts warn that glaciers in the Andes are melting faster, increasing the risk of further flash floods and landslides.
According to Thai News Agency, the search operation for survivors of a sudden flash flood and landslide caused by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, on the Nepal-Tibet Autonomous Region border of China, entered its fourth day today. Nearly 2,000 people remain missing, including at least 517 foreigners.
The search is under close monitoring regarding the possibility of a repeat of the disaster, as residents in Nawagod district have been evacuated to higher ground after the natural barrier lake, formed following the initial disaster, remains fragile and at risk of overflowing. This forced rescue teams from Nepal and China to temporarily suspend operations on Friday, before resuming after it was assessed that the risk was manageable.
However, Chinese rescue teams anticipate continued rainfall this weekend, which will hamper their mission, in addition to infrastructure such as bridges and roads that have been damaged and cut off following the disaster.
The news also stated that the reason for the large number of tourist disappearances in Nepal and Tibet was that these tourists were traveling to the region for pilgrimage. The area is a popular destination for Hindus and Buddhists, with tens of thousands of visitors each year to see sacred sites. Of these, Indians, who mostly come for pilgrimage, are the foreign group most affected.
Many Indian tourists travel through Nepal to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a 6,400-meter-high peak of great spiritual significance to Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains.
The death toll in Nepal has risen to 626, with at least 1,924 missing, including at least 517 foreigners. In Tibet, the death toll has risen to 7, with 554 still missing.
Meanwhile, Indian officials said they recovered the bodies of seven people from rivers flowing from Nepal, believed to be victims of Wednesday's disaster. The bodies were found in two rivers in Uttar Pradesh state, which borders the affected southern region of Nepal.
Chilean glaciologists and geologists warn that accelerating glacial melting in the Andes, driven by current global warming, could increase the risk of disasters such as flash floods and landslides, similar to those occurring in the Himalayas and other parts of the world. Global warming is destabilizing glaciers, causing cracks and movement that could trigger landslides on steep slopes. They are calling for enhanced high-altitude monitoring using satellites, drones, and meteorological stations to identify high-risk areas and improve the effectiveness of early warning systems.