Nepal Floods Kill Over 1,000, Leave Thousands Missing

The death toll from devastating floods in northern Nepal has surpassed 1,000, with the Nepalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming 987 fatalities as of Tuesday, September 1. Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths on their side of the border. A total of 3,925 people are missing in Nepal and 546 in China's Tibet region. Among the missing are at least 850 foreign workers, pilgrims, and tourists from over 30 countries, including two Israeli citizens: a man around 60 years old and a 41-year-old woman.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing around the clock. In the Nuwakot district, which suffered immense damage, police discovered 24 bodies in a single village, Betarbaati. The rescue efforts are severely hampered by the destruction of roads by floodwaters moving at speeds of up to 180 km/h. "We are surveying new areas and finding bodies everywhere," a police officer stated.

A large-scale operation is underway to rescue hundreds trapped in tunnels of hydroelectric power stations. Rescuers are attempting to access these tunnels using explosives, but there have been no reports of survivors or recovered bodies yet. Concerns are rising about potential suffocation due to lack of oxygen.

The International Red Cross estimates that over 90,000 people have been affected, including those injured or left homeless. Thousands remain cut off from the outside world. Nepal has received $42 million in international aid, with specialists, military personnel, and volunteers from India and China assisting local rescue teams. Army units are constructing temporary bridges to reach isolated areas.

In southwestern Tibet, efforts are underway to build a new road to a border crossing destroyed by the flood. Chinese state media reported that rescue teams, including customs and border control officers who survived the initial deluge, are working to find missing colleagues. The floods, which began on August 26, were triggered by a landslide caused by a 4.7 magnitude earthquake that blocked the Bhote Koshi River. The subsequent breach of the dam washed away several villages, severely damaging infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and power facilities, particularly in the Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.