Floods and massive landslides in Nepal and Tibet have claimed at least 1,000 lives, while more than 4,400 people remain unaccounted for.
The latest figures show that 987 people have died in Nepal and 13 in China’s Tibet region. Across both areas, the number of missing people has reached 4,462.
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Search-and-rescue operations are continuing amid major difficulties, as the disaster has severely damaged infrastructure and isolated several hydropower plants in the mountainous areas of the Himalayas. To reach the blocked-off territories, teams have used temporary bridges and heavy machinery.
So far, 279 workers have been rescued alive from the hydropower plants, while hundreds more remain trapped.
Nepal’s Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, said that more than 11,000 people had been rescued so far. Electricity, communications and road access have been restored in some of the worst-hit areas.
Nuwakot, one of the hardest-hit areas, is among the territories where access has been restored. The reopening of roads has facilitated the continuation of search efforts, as well as the transport of food and other aid.
To address the situation, Nepal has secured more than $42 million in assistance from the international community. India and China are also supporting rescue efforts and work to restore connections with isolated areas.
Shah said that the growing impact of climate change is worsening the situation in the Himalayas and warned of increasing risks in the region.
The mountainous terrain makes Nepal particularly vulnerable to floods and landslides. Another threat is linked to the melting of Himalayan glaciers, whose waters millions of people depend on.
Nepalese authorities estimate that reconstruction after the disaster could require billions of dollars, adding pressure on the country’s economy. UN experts have warned that climate change is turning such natural disasters into more frequent and intense events.
