Nepal flood death toll rises to 469 as fears grow over blocked river lake

Rasuwa, Nepal. Rescue teams used heavy machinery to clear mud and debris in towns devastated by a flash flood, two days after a glacier collapse sent torrents through Himalayan river systems. The confirmed death toll in Nepal rose to 469 on Friday, while nearly 1,000 people remained missing in Nepal and neighbouring Tibet.

Rescue operations continue

The flood destroyed villages, power stations, roads and bridges along a route linking Kathmandu with Lhasa in Tibet that is popular with trekkers and pilgrims. At least 540 of those missing are foreigners.

Nepalese authorities deployed helicopters to search for survivors and deliver emergency supplies to thousands of people cut off in towns and valleys. Emergency services, including teams using sniffer dogs, recovered dozens of bodies swept into the plains.

Dibga Tamang was among the last people rescued from the hard-hit town of Rasuwa on Thursday. Tamang and three others were airlifted to an army camp in Nuwakot.

“All of our people have gone. They are dead,” Tamang said. “I have no one left waiting for me. Everything and everyone is gone. The end.”

Warning over rising lake

Nepal’s disaster management authority warned that a lake formed by debris blocking the Bhotekoshi River was rising and could burst, creating a risk of further catastrophic flooding.

Across the border, China said about 3 million cubic metres of water, equivalent to around 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools, was expected to flow into an already dammed lake over the next three days.

Chinese state media, citing the water resources ministry, said there was a high risk that the lake could breach, with peak flow expected around September 1.

Chinese authorities have mobilised an eight-member engineering team to conduct aerial surveys and 3D modelling of the barrier lake, though access to the site remains challenging.