Flash floods along the Himalayan border between Nepal and China have killed more than 500 people in Nepal, according to authorities. The disaster struck after a landslide triggered massive flooding in the region. Rescue teams have been working through mud and debris since the event, with more than 3,700 people rescued so far in Nepal. Over 2,500 people remain missing across both countries, including dozens of foreign nationals.
Survivors described the water as hitting like a tsunami, forcing some to climb to higher ground to survive, according to CNN. CNN teams witnessed devastated neighborhoods and families searching for loved ones at morgue walls.
Authorities are closely monitoring a second newly formed lake that has developed, raising fears of further flooding. The water level in this barrier lake has dropped 10 meters (32 feet) from the high point on Thursday morning, according to Chinese state media.
China restarted rescue operations after a pause due to concerns about the unstable barrier lake forming from the disaster. Two professional rescue teams from China have reached the hardest-hit areas, including one with a search dog, according to a report from wccbcharlotte.com. Footage showed rescuers being lowered by drone to deploy an inflatable boat near the fast-flowing Gyirong River.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported a death toll of 579. The number of missing people has doubled to 1,924, with most still unaccounted for in Nepal.
Nepal does not currently need foreign rescue teams but remains open to targeted international support. India reported that 320 of its citizens remain missing and is sending relief supplies and a tunnel rescue team.
Japan has also sent two members of an emergency relief team to the disaster site in Nepal. Pakistan’s Prime Minister announced that emergency relief assistance is being dispatched to support Nepal.
The International Federation of Red Cross said some areas are still only accessible by helicopter for initial assessments, The Hill reported. UNICEF reported that at least 17,000 children urgently need humanitarian help and 18 schools have been destroyed.
The World Health Organization said six health facilities have been damaged and eight health workers are missing. Monsoon-fueled storms will continue to pop up across the area through this weekend.
Nepali diaspora communities are adjusting their traditional Teej festival celebrations to honor flood victims. The New Zealand Nepal Society canceled its Auckland gathering and is holding a candlelight vigil instead. In Atlanta, two concerts and a candlelight vigil are planned to support flood victims in Nepal.
Organizers say proceeds from these events will go toward government-established flood relief funds. More than 5,000 people who immigrated to the United States from Nepal live in Atlanta and surrounding areas, according to Raju Thapa, president of the Nepali Cultural Center (NCC).
The Nepali government has mobilized 14,829 security personnel for search and rescue operations.
IMAGE: DNR Art Department