Rescuers in Nepal and China continued today to search for missing persons in the devastating floods, in which the latest toll has seen the number of fatalities rise to 469, while authorities warned that an overflowing lake could cause further damage.
In the flash floods on the border between the two countries, the death toll has risen from 390 to 469, and more than 1,500 people are reported missing, Nepalese police announced this morning.
Nepalese and Chinese authorities have warned of new floods from a lake that formed upstream after Wednesday’s disaster, which has already overflowed.
China’s Ministry of Water Resources announced yesterday that the lake contains about two million cubic meters of water and that an additional three million cubic meters are expected to flow in over the next three days.
Chinese public broadcaster CCTV reported this morning that the dam on the lake was located more than 10 kilometers from the Gyirong port, near the border crossing with Nepal that was affected by mud and floodwaters.
CCTV reported that the lake is situated at an altitude of 2,950 meters, about 1,000 meters above the Gyirong border crossing.
The Nepalese army stated that a team was dispatched to the border crossing to inspect the Bhotekoshi River due to the risk of further flooding.
According to Nepalese services, 3,253 people have been evacuated from the most affected areas, and survivors have been transferred to Kathmandu and other locations.
Among the missing were foreigners from several countries, many of whom were mountaineers and pilgrims, as well as one Serbian national.
President of the United States of America (USA) Donald Trump stated that the sight of the floods was horrific and said that the country’s authorities would provide Nepalese leaders with “anything they want.”
Your perspective is part of the story
Read other perspectives and join the conversation.