Nepal Continues Rescue Efforts a Week After Devastating Flash Floods

A week after catastrophic flash floods in the Himalayan region killed more than 1,100 people and left nearly 4,000 missing, search and rescue operations are still underway.

On August 26, a torrent of water, mud, and rocks swept through communities in Nepal and China's Tibet region following a glacial collapse, leaving severe destruction in its wake.

According to Reuters, at least 1,114 people have died in Nepal. In neighboring Tibet, Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) said the disaster has left at least 2.2 million tonnes of debris, noting this is an initial estimate. The affected area in Nepal previously hosted 11 operational hydropower plants and one solar power facility, all now halted. Additionally, 15 power projects under construction with a combined expected capacity of 470 megawatts have been damaged.

Al Jazeera's Barnaby Lo, reporting from Kathmandu, said more specialized equipment is being brought in to support search and rescue campaigns, particularly for around 600 workers, some believed trapped in tunnels beneath the hydropower plants.

The office of Prime Minister Balendra Shah confirmed to Al Jazeera that more than 270 workers have been rescued from tunnel areas, not from inside.

“Search and rescue operations are continuing. The Nepali army is drilling, digging, and trying to reach those people. Very soon, they will be joined by a group of foreign experts from South Korea after Chinese and Indian specialists have assisted over the past few days,” Lo reported.

Forensic experts from China and Singapore will also arrive soon to help manage and identify the deceased—a challenging task due to the rising death toll and the decomposition of bodies.

“Families here have held funerals, saying they need to do so even without the bodies of their missing loved ones to free their souls,” Lo shared.

In 2020, a UN-backed study identified 47 potentially dangerous glacial lakes across Nepal, India, and China. Of these, 31 were classified as Class I, the group considered at highest risk of bursting. The remaining lakes were listed as Class II or III. Researchers called for closer monitoring, early warning systems, and other measures to mitigate risks to downstream communities.

The study also warned that rising temperatures are altering the Himalayan terrain. As glaciers retreat and fragment, new glacial lakes may form and existing ones may expand, increasing the risk of glacial lake outburst floods—sudden releases of large water volumes that can sweep away everything in valleys below.

“These very experts are saying the risk is becoming more dangerous and could last long-term, which means people living in these villages may not be able to return to rebuild their lives there,” Lo noted.

In an interview with The Kathmandu Post, Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal called on major greenhouse gas emitters to pay compensation.

“Nepal's greenhouse gas emissions are almost negligible. Yet we are paying a heavy price for a global crisis we did not cause. The rapid melting of glaciers and these catastrophic mountain tsunamis are direct consequences of global climate change,” Khanal said.

“Major industrialized emitters—China as the world's top emitter, the US second, and India third—have a historical responsibility to compensate vulnerable nations like Nepal,” he added.

To that end, Nepal's Ministry of Finance has formally sent 'official climate compensation demand letters' to international partners, though he did not name them.