Nepal and Tibet flood disaster leaves 750 dead and more than 3,000 missing as rescue work continues

Rescuers in Nepal and China are continuing search and rescue operations after a wall of water and debris swept through parts of the Himalayas, engulfing villages and damaging infrastructure. The disaster has now left at least 750 people dead overall, while more than 3,000 remain missing. In Nepal, the disaster authority said rescue efforts had entered a fifth day as teams tried to reach people cut off by the flooding.

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Nepal's disaster authority said at least 734 people have been killed in the country and 2,498 remain missing. Chinese state media earlier reported 16 deaths in Tibet and 546 missing, bringing the combined toll to 750 dead and 3,044 missing. The Nepali army was working to rescue workers believed trapped in a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric site after a pipe was inserted into the passage.

Officials said teams had started sending air through the small opening. The rescue effort has been complicated by rain and rising river levels, with Nepal's disaster authorities urging teams to proceed carefully. Officials also said more than 100 workers may still be alive and trapped inside tunnels, with attention focused on the Trishuli 3A and 3B sites.

Nepal's disaster authority listed 933 hydropower workers among the missing, along with 517 foreigners, including trekkers and Hindu pilgrims travelling to Tibet's Mount Kailash. The scale of the disaster has drawn attention because it has affected both populated settlements and major energy infrastructure in a mountainous region already vulnerable to flooding and landslides. The incident also highlights the risks facing workers and travellers in remote Himalayan areas, where access can be limited even in normal conditions.

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The involvement of hydropower sites adds an economic dimension, as Nepal has invested heavily in energy projects in river valleys. The exact cause of the collapse remains unclear, but the event has been linked by officials and climate experts to the wider risks created by warming temperatures and melting glaciers. The UN climate chief said the sudden glacial collapse and flash flood was a reminder of how fragile mountain environments can be.

Survivors and families are still waiting for news of missing relatives, while local accounts suggest entire riverside settlements were swept away. Several countries and organisations have announced humanitarian support for Nepal, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The Isha Foundation said 80 of its members had been on a group trip in the area, and said there were no encouraging signs of survivors near the immigration office area.

What remains unclear is how many of the missing can still be found alive, and whether rescue teams will be able to reach trapped workers before conditions worsen further.

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