Nepal flash floods kill 165, massive search on for missing: 10 updates

Flash floods in the Nepal-China border region killed at least 165 people and left hundreds of tourists, workers and others missing.

Massive floods in Nepal and Tibet claimed the lives of 165 people and left hundreds missing after suddenly sweeping through communities and disrupting travel in some areas.

Nepal tourism officials said that over 400 foreigners were among the 579 tourists who went missing after the disaster swept through the region, popular among trekkers and pilgrims, with the police stating that the death toll is expected to rise beyond 165.

“This will go up, as we have resumed the search and more bodies are expected to be recovered,” police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said, according to news agency Reuters.

According to the experts, the disaster was caused by glacial collapse in the warming Himalayan region. A magnitude 4.4 earthquake was recorded near the Nepal-Tibet border before the disaster, while researchers have pointed to the exceptional speed of the flood wave and rapid rise in river levels. The region is particularly vulnerable to floods, landslides and glacial hazards as Himalayan temperatures rise.

Here are the top developments:

1. 01Massive regional tollNearly 1,500 people are missing in Nepal and Tibet after catastrophic floods and mudslides hit the region.
2. 02Severe impact on IndiansMore than 300 Indians are missing in flash floods, said Nepal Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal.
3. 03Consular verification underwayNepal’s tourism authorities reported that 105 Indian nationals and 37 NRIs were among those whose whereabouts are being verified.
4. 04PM Modi speaks to Nepal’s Balendra ShahPrime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah and offered India’s full humanitarian assistance.
5. 05Global missing tollAmong the missing tourists, 47 were from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 24 from Canada, Sunil Sharma, a spokesperson for Nepal’s tourism board, told the Associated Press news agency.
6. 06Pilgrims caught in disasterSharma told the Associated Press that 133 of the tourists were from India on a pilgrimage.
7. 07Cross-border aid dispatchedIndia has dispatched 10 tonnes of HADR assistance and essential medicines to bolster Nepal’s relief efforts.
8. 08Tibet sector numbersThe tally of the missing in Tibet’s Gyirong county was 558, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said ​on Thursday, including 260 foreign nationals.
9. 09Intensified rescue operationsThe Prime Minister of Nepal’s office, in a Facebook post, informed that Nepal has intensified search, rescue and relief operations in areas affected by severe flooding in Rasuwa’s Bhotekoshi River.
10. 10Emergency helplines activatedThe Embassy of India in Kathmandu has issued updated emergency helpline numbers for people seeking assistance amid the Nepal disaster. The numbers are available for emergency contact and can also be reached through WhatsApp.