Death Toll From 'Great Flood' Rises to 633, with 3,000 Missing

On the fourth day since a massive flood struck the Himalayan mountainous region along the Nepal-China border, the combined death toll in both countries rose to 633, with the number of missing approaching 3,000.

According to agencies such as AP and AFP, Nepal's disaster management authorities stated that 626 people have died as a result of the massive flood that occurred in the northern Bagmati Province on the 26th.

On the same day, the number of victims killed by a debris flow linked to the flood in Gyirong County, Xigaze, in China's Tibet Autonomous Region near the border increased from 5 to 7, bringing the current total death toll across both countries to 633.

Until the previous day, the total death toll stood at 579, but as bodies were continuously recovered in and around Bagmati Province, the number increased by more than 40.

Additionally, the number of missing persons in Nepal surged by about 500, from a previous 1,924 to 2,426.

Combined with the 554 missing persons reported in Tibet, the total number of missing stands at 2,980.

Among the missing, over 500 are foreign nationals from some 30 countries, including India and the United States.

Nine South Koreans remain out of contact, including six employees of Doosan Enerbility and three employees of Korea Southern Power who were constructing the Upper Trishuli (UT)-1 hydroelectric power plant in Nepal.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it plans to dispatch an additional joint government rapid response team to Nepal, consisting of one ministry official and eight personnel from the National Fire Agency.

Previously, the government dispatched an 11-member rapid response team to Nepal on the 27th, led by Lim Sang-woo, government representative for overseas Korean protection and consular affairs.

The 9 additional personnel to be dispatched plan to join the existing response team in searching for and rescuing the missing.

Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won is also departing for Nepal today to directly support search and rescue operations at the accident site where six Doosan Enerbility employees are missing.

However, helicopter-based search and rescue operations for the missing were temporarily suspended in the disaster area in Nepal today due to bad weather.

Nepal Army Spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet explained that operations would remain suspended until weather conditions improve.

Nevertheless, Nepali rescue authorities are continuing their attempts to rescue missing persons trapped inside a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli (UT)-1 hydroelectric power plant, which was submerged by the flood.

Spokesperson Basnet explained, "We estimate that more than 100 people are trapped in a tunnel filled with mud," adding, "Rescue operations are difficult due to the mud being 1.2 to 1.5 meters deep and the limited spaces available for helicopters to land."

It has been suggested that the massive flood may have been triggered by the collapse of a colossal amount of glaciers and rocks, driven by climate change in the Himalayas caused by global warming.

It was analyzed that in the process where a glacier nearly 600 meters wide collapsed alongside rocks at an altitude of 5,200 meters on Mount Langtang Lirung (7,234 meters above sea level), a massive shock equivalent to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake was generated.

It is estimated that the glacier and debris flow subsequently swept downstream from the Rende River along the Trishuli River, causing the massive flood.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.