SRINAGAR: The death toll from catastrophic floods in Nepal and China has surpassed 1,000, with 987 deaths reported in Nepal and 16 in China, as rescue teams continue efforts to reach communities cut off by destroyed roads, bridges and landslides, Al Jazeera reported.
Nepal’s disaster management agency said on Tuesday that 3,916 people remained missing, including 583 foreigners. At least 11,814 people have been rescued, with emergency teams using helicopters and other aircraft to evacuate people stranded in areas where floods and landslides have severed road links, as per the Associated Press report.
The disaster began on August 26 following a series of events in the high Himalayas. A glacial collapse released large quantities of rock, ice and meltwater into downstream valleys, triggering powerful floods across parts of Tibet and Nepal.
Scientists examining satellite imagery said the collapse appeared to have resulted from the failure of bedrock beneath a glacier. The resulting rockfall was strong enough to register as a magnitude 5.2 seismic even, Bloomberg reported.
The surge of water and debris rapidly raised river levels across Himalayan valleys, destroying homes, buildings, roads and bridges and carrying large quantities of mud and rocks downstream.
Meanwhile, Nepal has issued a fresh flood alert as water levels continue to rise in several districts, raising concerns about further disruption to rescue and relief operations.
Rescue agencies are continuing efforts to reach affected communities as damaged transport links and unstable terrain hamper access to several areas.
