Deadly Flood Strikes Nepal–Tibet Border Region

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Grand Canyon — The death toll from Saturday’s flash flood has risen to two, after a second body was recovered Monday. The number still missing or unaccounted for has dropped slightly, from roughly 15 to 14, as search and recovery efforts continue in the Grand Canyon.

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Nepal–Tibet Flood Disaster: Rescue Effort Moves Underground

The disaster along the Nepal–Tibet border continues to deepen. More than 950 people are now reported dead, with more than 4,400 still missing. Six days after the August 26 flood sent an enormous mass of ice, rock, mud and water through the Himalayan valleys, attention has increasingly turned underground, where rescuers are racing to reach hundreds of workers feared trapped inside hydropower tunnels. apnews.com

 

More than 900 workers remain unaccounted for at 12 hydropower projects in Nepal, and officials believe approximately 500 may be inside the tunnels. These are enormous passages—some large enough for trucks—but entrances and sections have been buried beneath mud, rock and flood debris. Rescue crews have begun using excavators, pumps, drilling equipment and even controlled explosions to force their way inside.

 

There has been some progress. About 250 people were rescued from the Upper Trishuli project area over the weekend, and rescuers have now penetrated hundreds of feet into some of the tunnels. But the news from inside has also been difficult: four bodies have been recovered from three mud-filled tunnels. Officials say some trapped workers may have access to oxygen, but after nearly a week, the race to reach them has become increasingly urgent.

 

The search extends far beyond those tunnels. Thousands remain missing throughout Nepal and Tibet, including hundreds of foreign nationals. Bodies continue to be recovered far downstream, showing just how far the flood carried its victims. Roads and more than 40 bridges have been destroyed or damaged, making some communities accessible primarily by helicopter.

 

For those of us who have been following this from the beginning, the numbers have become almost difficult to comprehend. What began last Wednesday as a sudden wall of water and debris has become one of the worst disasters this region has faced. And now, nearly a week later, hundreds of families are waiting on one thing: whether rescuers can get through those tunnels in time.

 

This report includes information from Reuters, The Associated Press, Nepalese authorities and other published sources. Casualty and missing-person figures continue to change as search operations proceed.