REUTERS
At least 165 people have died in Nepal, and three more in Tibet, according to authorities in both countries. In Nepal, 826 people are considered missing, and in Tibet, 558. According to Reuters, 260 of those missing in Tibet are foreigners.
The disaster occurred on Wednesday on a section of the road connecting Kathmandu and Lhasa. A torrent of mud and debris destroyed homes, roads, and bridges, damaged energy infrastructure, and cut off several settlements. In some places, the layer of mud is several meters deep.
In Nepal, 517 foreigners are among the missing, according to the country’s tourism authority. Most were there as tourists or pilgrims. Groups traveling toward Mount Kailash—one of Hinduism’s holiest sites—were passing through the disaster area. Among the foreigners are citizens of India, the United States, Ukraine, Australia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Canada. The Australian Foreign Ministry confirmed that 34 Australian citizens are considered missing.
Today, August 27, rescuers continued the search using helicopters. More than 5,000 military personnel and police officers are participating in the operation. So far, 125 people have been evacuated, including 20 foreigners.
According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Geological Survey initially reported a 4.4-magnitude earthquake. Later, experts reviewed the data and determined that the recorded seismic signal was caused not by an earthquake, but by a glacier collapse. According to the USGS, the event corresponded to a magnitude of 5.2 and was accompanied by a flow of ice, rocks, and mud down the valley.
The glacier calving triggered a powerful flood on the Lhunde Khol River, which then reached the border town of Gyirong in Tibet and populated areas of Nepal. Satellite images showed a large-scale avalanche of ice and rock in the river area.
Rescue operations are being hampered by destroyed roads and bridges. Power and communication outages persist in the affected areas. Chinese authorities are also monitoring the backwater lake that has formed upstream, as new rainfall could lead to further flooding.
India, the UN, and other organizations are sending aid to Nepal. The U.S. announced it would provide $500,000 to the country and has sent a disaster response specialist.
It should be noted that the disaster has become one of the most severe natural disasters in recent years in this region of the Himalayas. Last August, a sudden flash flood caused by a rapid release of water from a glacial lake in Tibet also resulted in casualties and the destruction of a bridge connecting Nepal and China.
