China-Nepal Flood Toll Rises as Lake Risks Grow
SCMP · 9 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
The death toll from the China-Nepal border disaster has climbed as rescue teams continue searching across devastated valleys near Gyirong Port after Wednesday's glacier collapse, flash flood and mudslide. Authorities on both sides are also warning that newly formed barrier lakes could burst, worsening the emergency .
Key Points
- Nepal's disaster authority said 359 bodies had been recovered by Thursday evening and 910 people were still missing, while Chinese authorities said three people had died and 558 were missing on the Chinese side .
- Chinese authorities have mobilised more than 1,500 rescuers, including firefighters, troops and engineering teams, and Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing has travelled to the scene to direct operations .
- Preliminary investigations by Chinese officials, the US Geological Survey and scientists indicate a high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal triggered the debris flow, with the impact registering magnitude 5.2 .
- Nepal's Prime Minister's Office said 484 tourists were missing, including 391 foreign nationals from at least 26 countries; 31 foreign nationals have been rescued, according to the Nepal Tourism Board .
- Nepal and China warned that debris-blocked lakes on both sides of the border are rising, with China expecting about 3 million cubic metres of water to flow into a dammed lake over three days .
Why It Matters
Gyirong Port is a crucial China-Nepal crossing that handled nearly 30 per cent of bilateral trade in 2024 and is a major overland route for pilgrims travelling towards Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar . For Hong Kong readers, the disaster underlines how climate-linked glacier instability can disrupt regional transport, tourism and supply links across the Himalayas with little warning .
Gyirong Port is a crucial China-Nepal crossing that handled nearly 30 per cent of bilateral trade in 2024 and is a major overland route for pilgrims travelling towards Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar . For Hong Kong readers, the disaster underlines how climate-linked glacier instability can disrupt regional transport, tourism and supply links across the Himalayas with little warning .