KATHMANDU — The death toll from devastating flash floods triggered by a glacier collapse in Nepal has risen to 579, while 1,924 people remain missing as rescue teams continue searching for survivors across parts of the Himalayan region.
The disaster struck northern Nepal and neighbouring Tibet on Wednesday, leaving more than 90,000 people affected and causing extensive destruction to homes, roads, bridges, power installations and other essential infrastructure. The scale of the flooding has also left hundreds of foreign tourists and pilgrims unaccounted for, adding an international dimension to an already severe humanitarian emergency.
Search and rescue operations resumed on Friday after authorities temporarily suspended work because of fears that a lake created by flood debris could burst its banks. Such an event could have sent another wave of water and mud into already devastated communities. Officials later determined that the immediate danger had eased sufficiently for rescue teams to return to affected areas, although two upstream barrier lakes remain under close observation.
The flooding followed the collapse of a glacier, which released enormous quantities of rock, ice, mud and other debris into Himalayan river systems. The resulting torrent swept through settlements and infrastructure, destroying homes and cutting off communities along a route connecting Kathmandu with Lhasa in Tibet.
The affected corridor is also used by trekkers and religious pilgrims travelling towards destinations including Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar. Because of the route’s importance to both tourism and pilgrimage, a significant number of people from outside Nepal were in the region when the disaster occurred.
Nepalese authorities have reported that at least 540 foreigners are among those missing. The missing include nationals from India, China, the United States, Malaysia, Ukraine, Britain, Australia and Canada, highlighting the difficulty of accounting for everyone caught in the rapidly developing disaster.
The destruction has not been confined to Nepal. China’s Tibet region has reported five deaths, while 558 people remain missing in Gyirong County. Chinese authorities said 260 of those missing in the area are foreign nationals.
The floodwaters have also carried debris and bodies downstream into northern India. Police in Uttar Pradesh reported recovering 10 bodies believed to have been swept into the state from Nepal, adding another layer to the difficult task of identifying victims and tracing missing people across national borders.
Emergency services are facing enormous logistical challenges as the number of recovered bodies has placed pressure on existing facilities. In Bharatpur, a government building has reportedly been converted into a temporary mortuary after morgues and hospitals became unable to accommodate all the remains recovered from the disaster.
Identification has been made more difficult because some of the bodies were badly damaged after being carried through powerful floodwaters. Police have responded by photographing identifiable remains and making information available to families who are searching for missing relatives.
At the same time, helicopters are being used to reach isolated valleys and communities cut off by destroyed roads and damaged communications infrastructure. The aircraft are supporting searches while also delivering emergency supplies to people who have been unable to leave areas affected by the flooding.
More than 3,700 people have so far been rescued, including survivors who were trapped inside a tunnel at a hydroelectric project that was still under construction. The rescue effort remains focused on reaching people who may still be stranded in remote and difficult-to-access locations.
Humanitarian organisations have warned that the crisis could become more severe if additional flooding occurs. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said approximately 93,000 people had been affected and were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
David Fisher, the organisation’s head of delegation in Nepal, expressed particular concern about the possibility of a secondary flood. Relief efforts have already been affected by the formation of a lake caused by the landslide, which has prevented some aid trucks from reaching affected communities.
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has also warned that the situation remains fluid and that additional hazards are possible. Authorities are therefore monitoring the landscape for signs that unstable water bodies or damaged terrain could trigger another major incident.
Nepal is using satellite imagery to monitor two barrier lakes located upstream from the main flood zone. One of the lakes has reportedly grown in size, raising concerns that continued water accumulation could eventually create another dangerous flooding event.
Chinese authorities have issued similar warnings over unstable glacial lakes in the wider Himalayan region. Although the immediate threat posed by one flood-created lake has eased, authorities continue to monitor conditions because the terrain remains unstable and further flooding cannot be ruled out.
The disaster has also caused significant damage to healthcare infrastructure. The World Health Organisation said six health facilities had been damaged and eight healthcare workers were missing, adding to the difficulties facing an already stretched emergency response.
The WHO warned that displacement and overcrowding, combined with interruptions to water, sanitation and healthcare services, could increase the risk of disease outbreaks. Diarrhoeal and respiratory illnesses are among the health concerns that could become more difficult to control if affected communities remain without adequate services.
International assistance has begun to emerge as the scale of the disaster becomes clearer. India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have reportedly offered support, although Nepal has indicated that it does not currently require foreign search-and-rescue teams.
In China, President Xi Jinping’s government has called for stronger monitoring of glacier lakes and landslide risks, emergency assistance for affected communities and increased international cooperation in disaster response. The focus reflects wider concerns about the vulnerability of communities living in mountainous areas exposed to rapidly changing environmental conditions.
The disaster has renewed attention on the risks facing Himalayan communities as glaciers lose ice and environmental conditions change. Nepal’s glaciers have lost a significant proportion of their ice in recent decades, while scientists have warned that rising temperatures can increase meltwater and weaken ice and rock structures.
Those changes can create conditions in which several hazards occur in succession, increasing the potential for glacier collapses, landslides, sudden lake outbursts and destructive flooding. The latest disaster has demonstrated how quickly such a chain of events can overwhelm communities and critical infrastructure.
For families searching for missing relatives, the immediate priority remains finding survivors and establishing the identities of those who have died. Relatives have gathered at military bases and emergency centres, examining lists of rescued people and photographs of unidentified bodies in the hope of locating loved ones.
Rescue workers are continuing operations despite the difficult Himalayan terrain, destroyed transportation links and the continuing possibility of further flooding. Authorities have maintained that the search will continue as teams work through affected areas and attempt to reach communities that remain isolated.
With hundreds dead, thousands still missing and tens of thousands of people requiring assistance, Nepal is facing an extensive humanitarian emergency. The continuing monitoring of unstable lakes and damaged terrain means the danger has not completely passed, leaving rescue teams and affected communities confronting both the consequences of the initial flooding and the possibility of further hazards.
Nepal flood disaster: Death toll climbs to 579 as 1,924 remain missing
