At least 797 people have died and 3,048 others remain missing after a Himalayan glacier collapse sent water, mud, and rock surging through villages in Nepal and China.
On January 26, Nepal released updated figures showing 781 deaths and 2,502 missing, including 592 foreigners. China, according to state broadcaster CCTV, reported 16 dead and 546 missing, including 261 foreigners.
The disaster struck on January 22 when part of a glacier at roughly 5,200 meters broke away, plummeting about 1,200 meters and carrying rocks and debris before crashing into the Lende River. The collapse created a large lake straddling the Nepal-China border that is now overflowing into Nepal's Lhende and Trishuli rivers.
Rescue operations have been suspended multiple times since Friday due to bad weather and the threat of new flash floods. About 100 workers are believed to remain trapped inside hydropower tunnels.
Funerals Begin
Nepali authorities began burying victims on Sunday after collecting DNA samples for later identification. Many bodies were swept away by floodwaters, leaving families unable to locate or identify their loved ones. Mass burials for hundreds of unidentified people are underway in Nepal's Chitwan district, known for its forests and rivers.
According to the Red Cross, approximately 90,000 people in Nepal could be affected by this disaster.
Professional rescue teams from India, China, and South Korea have been deployed for search and rescue operations. Malaysia also sent its SMART special response team and contributed $1 million for recovery efforts.
Numerous countries and international organizations have begun providing aid. The European Union pledged $2.3 million on Friday. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) allocated more than $1 million and launched an urgent appeal for $31 million.
