[Anchor]
Additional flooding risk warnings were issued overnight in the areas bordering Nepal and China, where a catastrophic flood disaster has occurred. The death toll confirmed so far has surged to 584, with 2,500 people still missing.
We have more details in the first report by reporter Han Sung-hee.
[Reporter]
At 9:00 PM local time in Nepal—just past midnight in South Korea—Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority issued another additional flooding warning as the water level of the Bhote Koshi River rose once again, urging residents to evacuate.
Not even a day had passed since an emergency evacuation order was issued yesterday (August 28) following the additional collapse of glaciers and bedrock into a newly formed barrier lake—where sediment and rocks had already accumulated from the glacial collapse three days ago that left a trail of devastation—when the crisis warning sounded once more.
[Chinese Rescue Worker: We cleared roads blocked by landslides and planned rescue operations, but operations are currently suspended due to the possibility of an additional collapse of the barrier lake.]
The confirmed death toll has risen further, with about 100 additional bodies recovered overnight in Nepal alone, bringing the total number of recovered bodies there to 579. Combined with 5 deaths in China's neighboring Tibet Autonomous Region, at least 584 people have lost their lives in this disaster.
The number of missing persons has also sharply increased to 1,924 in Nepal alone, bringing the total to approximately 2,500 when including China's figures.
The Nepalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that out of 632 foreign nationals from 33 countries—including 9 South Koreans—121 have been found, while 511 remain missing.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government announced preliminary investigation results indicating that the disaster appears to have been caused by the collapse of high-altitude glaciers, as experts have pointed out.
[Lin Jian / Spokesperson for Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs: According to analysis, this disaster appears to have been triggered by the collapse of high-altitude glaciers within Nepalese territory.]
With roads cut off in various places and fears of further collapses, search and rescue operations for the missing are facing major setbacks.
The Nepalese government has reversed its decision not to accept assistance from foreign search and rescue teams in the affected areas, and will now receive aid from the international community.
[Video Editing: Won Hyeong-hee]
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