Death toll rises to 750 in Nepal and Tibet
An autorickshaw passes beside a collapsed bridge following a flash flood in Galchi, Nepal. Photo: Reuters
The death toll from devastating flash floods and landslides in Nepal and Tibet has risen to 750. Of them, 734 people have died in Nepal. Another 16 people were killed in Tibet’s Gyirong County. Thousands of people remain missing in the disaster affected areas along the border between the two countries.
Officials in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region provided the information at a news conference held Sunday.
At the news conference, officials said the missing foreign nationals include 49 citizens of India, 33 of Latvia, 18 of the United States and 15 of the United Kingdom.
Beijing has informed the diplomatic missions of the countries concerned about the matter.
Earlier, on Wednesday, a glacier collapsed in the Himalayan region sending a torrent of ice, rocks, mud and debris downhill. The incident caused extensive damage in areas along the Nepal Tibet border.
This is the first time China has released information on the nationalities of missing foreign nationals since the incident.
Chinese authorities said that as of Saturday evening 16 people had died in Tibet’s Gyirong County. Another 546 people remain missing.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that the death toll in Nepal has risen to 734.
Reuters reported citing the country’s disaster management authorities that 2,498 people remain missing on the Nepal side of the border. A total of 7,514 people have been rescued.
However, despite ongoing rescue operations there are new concerns about flooding. Local police said water levels in the nearby Trishuli River have risen over the past few hours. Residents and rescue workers have been moved to higher ground.
China has pointed to a link between the disaster and global warming. China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported that the disaster occurred due to glacier instability caused by long term global warming.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone with Nepal’s foreign minister on Saturday. During the call he described the landslide as one of the most devastating disasters in recent years.
China has deployed more than 2,000 rescue workers to respond to the disaster. The country has allocated at least 220 million yuan ($32.7 million) for relief efforts. China is also providing Nepal with cash assistance. It is also sending relief supplies and satellite information.
Source: Reuters and BBC (Adapted)
