The death toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal and China’s Tibet Autonomous Region has surpassed 1,000. A total of 1,003 people have died across the two regions so far, while 4,462 remain missing.
News agency AFP reported this information on Tuesday, citing the latest data from both regions.
Nepal’s national disaster mitigation agency reported 987 deaths in the country due to the floods, while China confirmed 16 deaths in Tibet. Consequently, the combined death toll stands at 1,003.
Many people have been rescued alive in Nepal, reducing the number of missing persons there to 3,916. In Tibet, 546 people remain missing.
Rescue operations are continuing today, marking the seventh day of this catastrophic disaster. With 4,462 people still missing across the two regions, there are fears that the death toll could rise further.
Among the missing in Nepal are 583 foreign nationals who had traveled to this Himalayan country from 30 different nations.
In Tibet, 261 foreign nationals—citizens of 23 countries—are missing.
Flash floods struck the Bhote Koshi River in Nepal’s Rasuwa district last Wednesday. The current was so powerful that the bodies of the deceased were swept hundreds of miles away.
Nepal is struggling to preserve the bodies due to a lack of adequate freezer facilities. As a temporary measure, DNA samples are being collected from the bodies before they are interred in mass graves.
Once identities are confirmed through DNA testing, the bodies will be exhumed and handed over to the families.
