Rescue teams, accompanied by search dogs, persisted in scouring mud, rocks, and debris along the Nepal-China border on Tuesday to locate thousands of individuals still unaccounted for after devastating floods ravaged the Himalayan region, resulting in over 1,000 fatalities.
In Kathmandu, while authorities laid to rest numerous bodies in multiple graves, Nepal’s disaster agency confirmed 1,003 deaths and 3,916 missing persons, including 583 foreigners. China provided updates indicating 16 deaths and 546 missing individuals, among whom 261 were foreigners.
The extensive damage from the disaster on August 26 has impeded rescue operations in both countries due to landslides, ruined roads, and widespread destruction isolating remote areas. Rescuers confronted arduous conditions navigating unstable terrain and heaps of debris, leading to concerns of a potential surge in the death toll as they reach isolated communities.
Efforts are underway to reach approximately 900 workers trapped inside tunnels at hydroelectric projects in Nepal that were impacted by the floods, with an estimated 500 individuals believed to be stuck inside tunnels. Nepalese army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet disclosed that teams, supported by foreign specialists, were engaged in rescue operations at various hydroelectric sites, as depicted in images released by the army illustrating rescue teams navigating through debris-clogged tunnels.
On the Chinese side, rescue teams combed through areas hit by mudslides, especially in the vicinity of the Gyirong Port border crossing, which sustained severe damage.
In Kathmandu, amidst heavy rainfall on Tuesday, police undertook the burial of numerous bodies in close proximity to a wooded area, delineating the graves with blue numbered markers for unidentified victims.
Nepalese authorities have been interring bodies in temporary graves pending identification, preserving DNA samples, capturing distinct facial features in photographs, and documenting other identifying characteristics, assigning each body a reference number to facilitate later identification and retrieval by families.
Relief operations have expanded to reach stranded communities, with over 11,814 individuals rescued thus far by emergency crews employing helicopters and aircraft to access isolated areas where transportation infrastructure has been compromised by flooding and landslides.
The federal government is dispatching $5 million in emergency aid to Nepal, with additional assistance earmarked for reconstruction efforts, as announced by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand. Anand conveyed condolences and solidarity to Nepal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shishir Khanal, emphasizing Canada’s support for those affected, including the families of the 30 missing Canadians.
Canada has dispatched a team of 10 officials to Kathmandu, including an RCMP officer and Canada’s deputy high commissioner to India, to contribute to the response efforts. Global Affairs Canada confirmed 30 Canadians were still unaccounted for as of Tuesday evening, with the number subject to change as new information becomes available and officials establish contact with individuals in impacted areas.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, disclosed the dispatch of a second batch of relief supplies to Nepal, encompassing drones, DNA testing equipment, and water purification resources, with Chinese DNA testing experts aiding Nepal in identity verification procedures.
The catastrophe commenced in the Himalayas with a glacial collapse triggering massive rock, ice, and meltwater discharge into valleys below, instigating potent downstream floods. Analysis of satellite data by scientists indicated a bedrock failure beneath a glacier in the Himalayan region, with the rockfall registering as a seismic event of magnitude 5.2.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah underscored the imperative for climate change action following the disaster, emphasizing the escalating risks in the Himalayan region necessitating heightened vigilance and a robust advocacy campaign on climate change-induced disasters.
Filmmaker and drone pilot Manish Maharjan recounted his involvement in rescue and relief efforts following the flash floods, utilizing drones to locate stranded individuals in challenging terrains such as hillsides and caves. Despite the success in locating people in open areas, the tunnels posed a unique challenge due to being filled with compacted mud, presenting a formidable obstacle for rescue operations.
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