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Nepal flood: Death toll reaches 750
Published : Sunday, 30 August, 2026 at 4:53 PM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
The death toll from catastrophic flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border reached 750, while over 3,000 people remain missing as search and rescue operations continue.
The combined figure includes 734 recovered bodies in Nepal and 16 fatalities in Tibet, reported news agency AFP on Sunday.
Nepali authorities confirmed that 2,498 individuals, including hundreds of foreign nationals, remain untraceable.
With restricted access for foreign journalists in Tibet, obtaining comprehensive disaster data remains difficult.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported 16 deaths and 546 missing persons in Tibet on Sunday, noting that 261 of the missing are foreign nationals.
Over 100 workers are feared trapped inside multiple hydropower project tunnels.
Minister Sudan Gurung stated that the Nepali Army began pumping air through pipes inserted into a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A project on Saturday night.
However, overnight rain and rising river levels disrupted rescue operations. Nepal’s disaster agency urged search teams to proceed with extreme caution.
Massive torrents of ice and debris struck riverbank construction sites, leaving 933 workers missing.
India sent an 11-member specialist team with experience in tunnel operations, while China dispatched a nine-member rescue unit to assist.
A new artificial lake began forming near the Tibet border following a landslide on Saturday.
Located 2.8 km away from a previously drained lake that posed a severe threat, the new formation threatens ongoing rescue work.
CCTV reported that rescue personnel at the Gyirong border port were evacuated to safer areas. China's Ministry of Emergency Management convened expert meetings to assess the situation.
Nepal Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal noted that rebuilding efforts would cost "billions of dollars." He appealed to the global community for financial and logistical assistance.
While exact causes remain under analysis, experts attributed the disaster to climate change in the Himalayan region.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) stated a glacier collapse in the high mountains caused the torrents. Xinhua reported that a glacier fractured on the southern slope of Lirung Peak in Nepal, triggering the landslide.
UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell stated that sudden glacier collapses highlight the fragility of mountain ecosystems.
The Red Cross estimated that around 93,000 people have been affected by the disaster in Nepal.
Nepal requested international specialized rescue support, including heavy-lift drones, DNA testing kits, and mortuary freezer units.
The US and Canada announced $3.6 million each in humanitarian aid. The UK pledged $6.8 million, while the UN allocated $2.5 million from its emergency fund.
The European Union promised $2.3 million, and the IFRC allocated over $1 million while launching a $31 million emergency appeal.
Chinese President Xi Jinping offered assistance, while Malaysia agreed to dispatch its Special Search and Rescue Team (SMART) alongside $1 million in aid.
-SA
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
