Severe Flooding in Nepal Leaves 273 Dead, Nearly 1,400 Missing

[Anchor]

We begin our 8 o'clock news with reports of a catastrophic flood disaster in the border region between Nepal and China. Massive floods and landslides triggered by a collapsing glacier have left more than 270 people dead, with the number of missing approaching 1,400. Nine South Korean employees at a hydroelectric power plant construction site in Nepal remain out of contact for a second day.

Our first report is from reporter Kim Minpyo.

[Reporter]

Muddy water surges and falls with ferocious momentum.

It cascades like a massive waterfall along the gorges of the rugged Himalayan mountain region.

On the second day of the massive floods that struck near the border between Gyirong County in China's Tibet Autonomous Region and Rasuwa in northern Nepal, the damage is spiraling out of control.

The death toll compiled so far stands at 273.

The number of missing people approaches 1,400, including 826 in Nepal alone and 558 in China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

[Subina Tamang / Wife of a missing person: All I hope for is that my husband returns safely and in one piece. I do not wish for anything else.]

However, because most of the affected areas remain buried under thick mud, assessing the exact casualties is extremely difficult.

[Rishi Kanal / Secretary General, Nepal Red Cross Society: There are even reports that about 10,000 people were swept away by the river.]

Nine employees dispatched by Doosan Enerbility and Korea South-East Power to a local hydroelectric power plant construction site have been out of contact for a second day.

Another 10 South Korean employees belonging to Doosan Enerbility evacuated alongside some 200 foreign workers. Among them, nine South Koreans were rescued first by helicopter and moved to a safe area.

Because the disaster-stricken area is close to a Hindu holy site and a popular trekking route, more than 60 percent of the missing are foreigners from 28 countries, including India, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Dozens of bridges and nine hydroelectric power plants have been destroyed, and residential facilities, schools, and hospitals washed away, leaving the affected region practically in ruins. Rescue operations are facing severe difficulties due to the rugged terrain and severed roads across the area.

(Video Editing: Chae Chul-ho, Video Sources: Instagram vivek357155, X @surajit_ghosh2, X @rizwanace, X @thevoicenm)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.