Rescue operations stall on Nepal-China border as storms ground helicopters
Bad weather forced a pause in helicopter rescues on the Nepal-China frontier, extending a four-day search for hundreds missing after flash floods.
Flash floods along the Nepal-China border on Wednesday caused almost 600 deaths and left close to 2,500 people unaccounted for, prompting a massive rescue effort. By Saturday, the operation entered its fourth day, but worsening weather forced the suspension of helicopter flights, said Nepali army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet. Rescue teams are still active at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa district, where over 100 individuals are believed to be trapped in a mud-choked tunnel, and at the heavily damaged Gyirong border crossing on the Chinese side.
Limited landing zones and up to 1.5 meters of mud complicate ground access, while crews have been temporarily relocated due to flood warnings. A glacial-lake formed by the initial disaster is now overflowing, raising concerns of additional floods; Chinese Ministry of Water Resources data showed the lake’s level fell 10 meters after a peak on Thursday. So far, more than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal, but the missing count has risen to 1,924, with Chinese officials reporting 554 missing on their side.
Why it matters
The stalled rescue highlights the scale of a cross-border disaster and the challenges of delivering aid in extreme weather.
How this story developed
- Aug 27 Flash Floods from Glacial Collapse Leave Hundreds Dead and Thousands Missing on Nepal-Tibet Border
- Aug 27 The United Nations pledged $2 million for relief efforts.
- Aug 27 The US Department of State said 90 Americans were unaccounted for in China and Nepal and it was not aware of any US deaths.
- Aug 28 Families of 39 Australians still missing after deadly floods in Nepal and Tibet are pleading for any information as a communications blackout hampers contact.
- Aug 28 Authorities warned that the debris‑clogged river and rising water in a blocked lake could cause additional flooding downstream.
- Aug 28 Rescue operations were halted for roughly one and a half hours after the lake began to overflow.
- Aug 28 A landslide-created lake on the China-Nepal border is overflowing, prompting emergency actions as the disaster has killed at least 543 people and left 1,535 missing.
- Aug 28 Death toll reported to have risen above 500 and missing persons count listed at about 977.
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