Rescue teams in Nepal and China are searching for thousands of people missing after a glacier collapse triggered a devastating mudslide across the Himalayas.
Authorities said the death toll had risen to 750, while more than 3,000 people remained missing on both sides of the Nepal-China border. The disaster occurred on Wednesday when huge amounts of ice, rocks, mud and debris swept through mountain valleys and rivers.
The Red Cross estimates that more than 90,000 people may have been affected by the disaster. China has linked the catastrophe to the effects of climate change.
Nepal's disaster authorities reported 734 deaths, 2,498 missing people and 7,514 people rescued. In China, authorities said 16 people had died in Gyirong County, while 546 remained missing.
China also said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries were unaccounted for in Tibet near a major border crossing with Nepal.
Rescue operations have been hampered by difficult weather conditions, rising river levels and concerns about further flooding. Heavy rainfall caused the Trishuli River in Nepal to rise, forcing some residents and rescue workers to move to higher ground.
Authorities have also warned of potential flooding from a lake formed by the disaster near the Nepal-China border. Although the lake had largely drained, drones later detected another landslide about 2.8 kilometres downstream, creating a new natural dam and pool of water.
In Nepal, rescue teams are focusing on hundreds of people believed to be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower plants damaged by the floods. The government has requested international assistance with tunnel rescues, DNA testing, body preservation and forensic identification.
Meanwhile, Nepalese authorities have begun mass burials of unidentified victims whose bodies were recovered downstream and had begun to decompose. Officials are collecting DNA samples and recording identifying information to help families identify their missing relatives.
China said it had deployed more than 2,100 rescue workers and allocated at least 220 million yuan ($32.7 million) for relief operations. Rescue teams are also using drones and life-detection equipment to search for survivors.
Chinese state media reported that scientists believe the disaster was linked to glacier instability caused by the long-term effects of global warming, highlighting the growing risks posed by climate change in the Himalayan region.
.jpeg)
.jpeg "Sunayen kofofin aljanna guda takwas 8")
0 Comment about the Post: