The catastrophic flash floods that have struck the Nepal–Tibet border region have claimed at least 633 lives and left roughly 3,000 people unaccounted for, according to recent reports from both nations.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported a sharp increase in the death toll from 616 to 633, while Chinese state media confirmed seven additional deaths, bringing the combined total to 633. The missing include 933 hydropower workers, trekkers, and pilgrims who were in the area when the floods surged.
The disaster began when a glacier fractured, producing a massive ice‑and‑rock avalanche, followed by an earthquake and a landslide that unleashed a torrent of mud, water, and debris through Himalayan valleys. The surge inundated villages, destroyed infrastructure, and severed transport and communication links, launch a massive rescue effort.
Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle stated that Nepal will require between $4 billion and $5 billion for reconstruction. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal announced requests for specialized international assistance in tunnel rescue, bridge reconstruction, body identification, and DNA analysis, emphasizing that help is needed in technical areas rather than general search‑and‑rescue.
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