Nepal flood death toll rises to 633, nearly 3,000 missing

Rescuers in Nepal and China continue their desperate search for thousands missing days after a catastrophic tsunami-like wall of water and debris surged through the Himalayan region, engulfing villages and infrastructure. Latest figures reveal nearly 3,000 people are unaccounted for, while the confirmed death toll has risen to 633. Reports suggest some victims may have been swept downstream into India.

The disaster has had a profound impact on Nepal's vital energy sector, with 933 hydropower workers added to the list of the missing. This list already includes trekkers and pilgrims who were en route to Tibet's sacred Mount Kailash. Survivors recount losing everything and now face an agonizing wait to learn the fate of their loved ones, with the daunting prospect of rebuilding their lives from scratch.

“

All the settlements near the river were swept away. There is nothing left.

"All the settlements near the river were swept away. There is nothing left," said survivor Buddhi Ram Dangol, describing the sheer scale of destruction. Samjhana Thing expressed the anguish of uncertainty, stating, "We don't know anything. Hopefully he is in a safe place," as she awaits news of her missing brother.

“

We don't know anything. Hopefully he is in a safe place.

The Red Cross described the trauma of Wednesday's catastrophe as "enormous," estimating that as many as 93,000 people may have been affected. With the death toll expected to climb, emergency teams have been racing against time to retrieve survivors from devastated zones where food and water supplies are dwindling.

Compounding the search efforts are fears of further flooding. The deluge of ice and mud created massive lakes, one of which poses a direct threat to rescue workers. Nepali police issued an urgent warning for all rescuers to move to safety, citing information that a "water dam has burst again on the Tibetan side." In Tibet, Chinese authorities suspended rescue operations in the hardest-hit area of Gyirong due to renewed flood risks, though later reported the threat had eased. State news agency Xinhua reported early Saturday that two villagers had been rescued in the area.

“

The trauma of Wednesday's catastrophe has been "enormous", and as many as 93,000 people may have been affected.

On the Nepali side, the military located individuals trapped within the tunnel of the Trishuli 3A hydropower project. "Two helicopters have been dispatched, but it is challenging because it is tough to even locate the entry points of the tunnel," stated army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet. Approximately 350 workers and residents have been safely evacuated from the site, but efforts continue to rescue over a hundred more trapped in the vicinity. Workers rescued from other dam projects along the Trishuli valley shared harrowing accounts of a disaster that unfolded with terrifying speed.

“

a water dam has burst again on the Tibetan side