Nepal flood death toll reaches 919 as thousands remain missing
Forecasters have warned that additional rain is expected in the badly affected Gyirong region
Nearly a week after a sudden and devastating flood struck Nepal and neighboring areas, authorities continue to uncover the scale of the disaster.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said Monday that 919 people had been confirmed dead, while approximately 4,700 remained missing on both sides of the border. The missing reportedly include nearly 600 foreign nationals, among them one Israeli citizen.
Search-and-rescue operations are continuing as emergency teams contend with unstable terrain and the threat of further flooding.
Chinese authorities have identified eight potential danger zones, with officials describing a crater created by the initial glacier collapse as the most serious threat to a newly formed lake.
Forecasters have warned that additional rain is expected in the badly affected Gyirong region. The downpours could further damage the limited access routes into the disaster zone, while temperatures are forecast to fall to around 7 degrees Celsius (44 Fahrenheit), complicating rescue efforts.
Moderate to heavy rain is also possible across southeastern Tibet, raising concerns that the water level in the newly formed lake could rise further.
Authorities in Beijing have repeatedly suspended rescue operations because of fears that increasing water levels and unstable conditions could trigger another disaster.