Nepal buries flood victims as rescuers search for thousands still missing

Families gathered at rescue stations, hospitals and overflowing morgues in Nepal as authorities buried some of the hundreds of bodies recovered from a flood that swept through Himalayan villages and towns.

The disaster killed at least 797 people in Nepal and Tibet, across the border in China. At least 3,048 people remained missing, including tourists and pilgrims traveling to Tibet’s Mount Kailash. Nepal reported 2,502 missing people on its side of the border, including 933 workers at hydropower plants.

Nepali army troops and engineers drilled through debris toward workers believed trapped in a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric site. They reached the passage after successfully inserting a pipe. Rescued workers described the force of the flood at the Upper Trishuli-1 site.

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We heard a very loud sound ... and saw that the turbine floor was submerged with slush, and six workers were stuck in that.

“We heard a very loud sound ... and saw that the turbine floor was submerged with slush, and six workers were stuck in that,” said Surendra Dowluri, a 33-year-old worker from India’s Andhra Pradesh state. “We managed to rescue five of them, but one person lost his life.”

Overnight rain and rising river levels flooded the excavation area and slowed the search before conditions improved, according to the Nepali army. The disaster agency said the flooding followed a glacial collapse, while the US Geological Survey said the collapse sent a wall of water and debris downstream.

The torrent also created large lakes that emergency workers were watching for additional risks. Chinese rescuers near a Tibet border port hit by a deadly mudslide were moved to safety after a new lake formed. China has reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people in Tibet.

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We managed to rescue five of them, but one person lost his life.