Flooding in the Himalayas

Over 1,000 dead after the disaster in the Himalayas

Over 1,000 people have been confirmed dead after the disaster in the Himalayas, writes AP.

According to authorities in Nepal, 987 deaths have been confirmed and 3,916 people are still missing seven days after the incident. China has also confirmed 16 deaths in Tibet over the weekend.

Rescue services are working to reach communities that were cut off after the disaster. In India, authorities have recovered bodies that are believed to have been swept away by the floodwaters from Nepal.

The cause of the disaster was a glacier in the Himalayas that collapsed, which dragged large amounts of ice, rock and water into a valley. This in turn led to severe flooding, writes AFP.

Explosives Used to Get Air into Tunnels

Rescue workers are using explosives to reach the 600 trapped workers in a large network of mud-filled tunnels near the Trishuli River in Nepal. This is reported by the BBC.

The blasts are taking place on the slope to be able to pump air into the tunnels. At the same time, there are fears that the window to find survivors will soon close.

Meanwhile, family members are critical of the work not starting earlier.

– The longer it takes, the more our hope dies. This operation has to go much faster because every second is meaningful to us, says Jiban Khadka, whose relative is missing.

Others still have hope because there are to some extent oxygen systems down in the tunnels.

Himalayan Floods — The Issue

• A 600-meter-wide glacier collapsed in the Himalayas, triggering massive landslides and flooding in Nepal and Tibet.
• More than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 4,000 are missing, including hundreds of foreign tourists and hydroelectric plant workers.
• Rescue efforts have been hampered by damaged roads, bridges and new flood risks, with helicopters being used to reach isolated areas.
• At least 93,000 people have been affected and are in urgent need of help, according to the Red Cross, and Nepal has appealed for international support.
• Climate change and rising temperatures have contributed to the glacier’s collapse, and the Nepalese government has urged the world to act on the climate crisis.