The death toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 547, according to officials, as rescue teams continue searching for people still missing in the Himalayan border region.
The disaster struck on Wednesday, sending a massive surge of water through communities near the Nepal-Tibet border, destroying homes, roads and critical infrastructure.
An aid worker described the situation in Nepal as “chaos” but said there was still hope that some of those reported missing could be found alive.
More than 100 foreign nationals have reportedly been rescued, while officials had earlier said more than 500 people were missing.
Rescue Efforts Continue
Rescue operations are also continuing in Tibet, where Chinese state media reported that five people had died and more than 558 were missing. It was not immediately clear whether some of the figures overlapped with those reported in Nepal.
Chinese authorities have resumed rescue operations near the Nepal-Tibet border after temporarily halting efforts over concerns about a newly formed lake created by rising floodwaters.
Officials feared the lake could burst its banks and trigger another dangerous wave of flooding.
Meanwhile, the family of one missing British national has appealed to local authorities for assistance in locating her.
“Please help us find her,” the brother of one of the missing Britons said in an emotional appeal.
Glacier Collapse Blamed for Flood Wave
Local officials told the BBC that a collapsed glacier triggered the huge flood wave.
The surge reportedly swept through homes and roads, causing widespread destruction and damaging a major crossing along the Nepal-Tibet border.
The scale of the destruction has raised concerns about the possibility of further flooding in the affected region.
David Fisher, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) delegation to Nepal, said humanitarian agencies remained deeply concerned about the threat of secondary flooding.
“We’re of course very concerned about the secondary flood,” Fisher said during a press briefing.
He estimated that about 93,000 people may have been affected by Wednesday’s disaster.
Red Cross Launches Emergency Appeal
The IFRC has launched an emergency appeal for CHF 25 million, equivalent to approximately £23 million or $31 million, to support immediate lifesaving operations.
The organisation said it had mobilised its global network to assist with the humanitarian response and provide support to communities affected by the floods.
With rescue operations still underway and hundreds of people unaccounted for, emergency teams are racing against time to locate survivors and deliver assistance to those affected by the disaster.
