Nearly 900 Dead, 3,000 Missing After Himalayan Glacier Disaster

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Chitwan, Nepal: Rescuers in Nepal and China are searching for over 4,000 missing people after a major glacier collapse caused a deadly mudslide across the Himalayas, with the death toll reaching atleast 900 on Sunday.

The disaster occurred on Wednesday when a massive mix of ice, rock, mud, and debris swept through mountain valleys and rivers along the Nepal-China border. Nepal's disaster authority confirmed 781 deaths and 2,502 missing, while Chinese officials reported 16 dead and 546 missing in Tibet's Gyirong County, including 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries. 

The Red Cross estimates that more than 90,000 people have been affected by what Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi described as the most severe cross-border disaster in the region in recent years.

Search and rescue operations face continuous delays due to harsh weather and fluctuating water levels. Fresh rainfall caused the Trishuli River to rise on Sunday, forcing rescue teams and local residents to move to higher ground. Although a dangerous natural lake formed by the debris was largely drained on Saturday, drone surveillance discovered a new landslide downstream that has blocked the river again, creating a fresh flood risk for communities downstream.

Pic Credit: AFP