Scientists who’ve studied satellite images said bedrock underneath a glacier high in the Himalayan region had collapsed, taking part of the glacier with it. The rocks and melted water swelled the rivers in the valleys below, causing a torrent of water that swept buildings, bridges and earth downstream.
KATHMANDU: Rescuers worked through mud and debris Friday in areas devastated by a catastrophic flash flood along the Himalayan border between Nepal and China, continuing the search for hundreds of people still missing as the death toll rose and authorities warned that a newly formed, overflowing lake could trigger further flooding.
Nepal police said Friday morning that the country’s death toll had risen to 469 from 390 a day earlier, as rescuers recover more bodies amid the debris. China has not updated its report of just three deaths in Tibet. Together, the two countries have said that more than 1,500 people are missing.
Scientists who’ve studied satellite images said bedrock underneath a glacier high in the Himalayan region had collapsed, taking part of the glacier with it. The rocks and melted water swelled the rivers in the valleys below, causing a torrent of water that swept buildings, bridges and earth downstream.
Nepali and Chinese authorities warned of further flooding from a lake that formed upstream after Wednesday’s disaster and was already overflowing. They urged people in potentially affected areas to move to safer ground.
China’s Ministry of Water Resources said Thursday that the lake held around 2 million cubic meters (70 million cubic feet) of water and was expected to receive another 3 million cubic meters (106 million cubic feet) over the next three days.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported Friday morning that the lake’s barrier was more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Gyirong Port, the border crossing with Nepal that was engulfed by mud and floodwater.
CCTV said the lake was at an elevation of 2,950 meters (9,680 feet), about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above Gyirong Port.
The Nepal Army said that a team was sent to the border point to inspect the Bhotekoshi River amid the potential of more floods.
The U.S. State Department said 90 Americans were unaccounted for in China and Nepal. It said it was not aware of any U.S. deaths. Three Americans have been rescued.
Nepal’s tourism board has said that among the missing are more than 500 foreigners.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the flooding was terrible to see, describing how “strong, well-built buildings were wiped out like they were toothpicks.”
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the U.S. spoke with Nepalese leaders and offered to provide “anything they want.”