A massive flood and landslide in the northern Himalayan region of Nepal, near the Chinese border, has resulted in at least 160 confirmed deaths. Hundreds remain unaccounted for, including nine South Koreans who have lost contact.
According to AFP, Nepalese police reported that 157 bodies were recovered during search and rescue operations on August 26. This figure includes three fatalities reported by China's state-run CCTV in the Tibet region near the border, bringing the total death toll to 160.
While search and rescue efforts continue, the number of missing persons could increase as hundreds remain unaccounted for.
The Nepalese tourism department has stated that the whereabouts of 403 tourists are unknown, including 341 foreigners from various countries such as India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Chinese authorities have reported that 265 people are missing due to the floods.
Among the missing are nine South Koreans affiliated with Korea Southeast Power and Doosan Enerbility, who lost contact near a local hydropower construction site.
The South Korean government plans to dispatch a rapid response team composed of personnel from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, police, and fire services to the area.
The floods have swept entire villages away in mudslides, and roads and bridges have been extensively damaged. Rescue teams are struggling to search for survivors amid collapsed roads and high water levels.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initially attributed the landslides and floods to a magnitude 4.4 earthquake but later revised this to a glacier collapse with a magnitude of 5.2 after further analysis. It is believed that the simultaneous release of glacier debris and mudflows caused significant downstream damage.
According to Reuters, satellite images from Planet Labs show evidence of a glacier collapsing at an elevation of about 5,200 meters, with debris falling into a valley approximately 1,200 meters below. Experts have supported the possibility of glacier collapse based on the satellite imagery.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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