Tibet flood death toll rises to 43 as 519 remain missing

The death toll from the devastating flood that struck Tibet’s Gyirong county on Aug. 26 has risen to 43, Chinese authorities said. Another 519 people remain missing, including 261 citizens from 23 countries.

The latest figures, updated through 6 p.m. local time on Saturday, add 12 deaths and reduce the number missing by 12 from the previous official count of 31 dead and 531 missing. Chinese authorities said the information on the missing foreign nationals had been sent to their embassies in China.

One of the missing foreigners is one of two Spanish citizens also reported missing in Nepal, diplomatic sources told EFE. That means two Spaniards are missing in total, rather than three.

More than 2,500 personnel are involved in the search. Operations have included 24 helicopter flights and more than 1,000 drone flights. Rescuers have recovered 993 personal belongings and brought two people out alive.

Teams restored road access to the affected settlement on Wednesday after destroyed roads, landslides and the risk of further disasters hindered rescue work for days. The flood began after a massive collapse of ice and rock in Nepal sent water, mud and debris across both sides of the border and destroyed the crossing linking Nepal with Gyirong.

In Nepal, the latest official count lists 1,341 bodies and human remains recovered and 4,996 people still missing, including about 589 foreign nationals. The separate Chinese and Nepalese totals bring the overall disaster toll to 1,384 dead and 5,515 missing.