Thousands still missing as Nepal-Tibet flood relief and recovery intensifies

As rescuers scramble to reach anyone who may be alive even as they turn to recovery, thousands of individuals remain missing after a catastrophic flash flood along the Nepal-Tibet border a week ago.

Key points

• At least 1, 114 individuals have died in Nepal and almost 4, 000 more are missing, according to Nepal's disaster agency.
• Almost 12, 000 residents have since been rescued, according to Nepal's disaster management agency.
• In Nepal, almost 3, 500 residents have been left homeless and displaced in 27 sites – mostly schools.
• But thousands more, including hundreds of foreign nationals – from India, the UK, Australia, the US, Malaysia, and more – are still missing.
• A massive flash flood, believed to have been triggered by a glacial collapse, swept through a Himalayan valley last Wednesday, wiping out villages.

At least 1, 114 individuals have died in Nepal and almost 4, 000 more are missing, according to Nepal's disaster agency. On the Tibetan side, the death toll stands at 16, and more than 500 individuals are unaccounted for, Chinese state media reports.

In practice, the UN's humanitarian agency has remarked the response is entering a new phase, with authorities intensifying relief and recovery operations.

In Nepal, efforts continue to rescue workers, potentially in the hundreds, believed to be trapped in hydroelectric station tunnels.

Meanwhile, a massive flash flood, believed to have been triggered by a glacial collapse, swept through a Himalayan valley last Wednesday, wiping out villages.

But thousands more, including hundreds of foreign nationals – from India, the UK, Australia, the US, Malaysia, and more – are still missing. A week on, fears are growing that the death toll will only rise.

Chinese state media has not documented any survivors on the Tibetan side of the border, but the search continues. Beijing, which annexed Tibet in the 1950s, tightly controls the region. All information comes from state media and foreign journalists cannot travel there without permission.

Rescuers using heavy machinery, working around the clock, have been able to re-open the route to the Gyirong border crossing between Nepal and Tibet and clear the road of debris. It will accelerate the search for the missing, Chinese state media remarked.

Rescue operations continue in challenging conditions, and experts from China and India are helping build temporary bridges to reach remote areas. Drones are being deployed over hard-to reach areas to scan for survivors.

Notably, the UN's humanitarian agency remarked the main challenge is now access, with more than 40 bridges destroyed.

Notably, the most remote communities are relying on army helicopter flights for supplies, and villages are still struggling for fuel and electricity.

In practice, the full impact of the flood in Tibet is unclear. China has published information through state media outlets showing the devastation around the border, but has given few details concerning the victims or the impact on local villagers.

In Nepal, almost 3, 500 residents have been left homeless and displaced in 27 sites – mostly schools. It disrupts education – throughout the districts of Nuwakot and Rasuwa.

Meanwhile, the priority for them now is "receiving humanitarian assistance, recovering and identifying the remains of the loved ones, tracing missing relatives and reunifying separated children, and accessing psychosocial support", the UN's humanitarian agency remarked.

Individuals packed into overcrowded shelters, contaminated water and damaged health facilities are putting the population at greater risk of disease in the middle of the monsoon season, the agency went on.

Nepal's prime minister, Balendra Shah, remarked there was a renewed emphasis on protecting the lives of survivors, providing medical treatment and psychological counselling.

Nepal's administration and the UN have agreed to launch a four-month humanitarian flash appeal.

Taken together, the developments around thousands still missing as Nepal-Tibet flood relief and recovery intensifies point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.