At least 1,118 people have died in Nepal and more than 3,900 remain missing after catastrophic flash floods devastated communities along the Nepal-Tibet border, while Nepali officials say rescuers have made contact with one of roughly 85 Americans listed as missing as of Tuesday.
Details about the American who was contacted remain unclear. Authorities have not identified the person, disclosed their location or provided information about their condition.
Nepalese authorities reported at least 1,118 deaths and more than 3,900 missing as of Wednesday. China separately reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a Plano couple was among the Americans reported missing after the August 26 disaster.
Foreign nationals among those missing
A document compiled by the Nepal Tourism Board said rescuers had made contact with five foreign nationals by Monday evening: the unidentified American, three people from Spain and one Belgian.
Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that 324 foreign nationals had been rescued, while about 590 people from 39 countries remained missing.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told CBS News that many foreigners may have been hiking in the mountains when the disaster struck and could be safe but unable to communicate.
“This is one of the most popular trekking regions in Nepal, where a lot of tourists go,” Khanal said. “We’re hoping that that’s partly a communication challenge that we’re experiencing. We’re hoping that the numbers [of missing] would be significantly less.”
American couple among those rescued
CBS News spoke with two Americans who had been rescued from the disaster zone, Anjana Raja and Pattabiraman Venkatesan, a San Francisco Bay Area couple who were on a pilgrimage to Tibet when the disaster struck.
The couple told CBS News they were traveling toward the Nepali border on a tour bus when a massive surge of water and debris came down the valley.
“It’s like 60, 70 feet, it looked like a tsunami, but dark black,” Venkatesan said. “I could see this monster thing coming down. At that point I didn’t know if it was water. I thought it was fire, forest fire, honestly.”
The couple escaped the bus and ran to higher ground. They eventually reached a mountaintop, where they spent the night in a goat shed with other survivors before rescuers airlifted them to safety.
Search continues for missing workers
Search-and-rescue teams continued working through mud, rocks and debris Wednesday as they searched for missing people along the Nepal-China border.
Landslides, destroyed roads and widespread damage have hampered rescue operations and cut off remote communities.
Authorities said rescue crews had pulled 279 people from damaged hydropower projects, while at least 639 remained missing. Officials fear some remain trapped inside tunnels.
Foreign experts joined Nepal Army teams at several hydropower sites. Rescue crews entered debris-filled tunnels and waded through mud and water while searching for signs of life.
Nepalese authorities said rescue crews had brought at least 11,814 people to safety by Tuesday. Emergency crews used helicopters and other aircraft to reach communities cut off by destroyed roads and bridges.
Bodies buried as identification efforts continue
In Kathmandu, police worked in heavy rain Tuesday to bury dozens of unidentified bodies in temporary graves.
Barbed wire surrounded the burial site, while numbered markers identified graves containing people whose names authorities had not yet determined.
Authorities preserved DNA samples, photographed distinguishing features and recorded other identifying information to help families identify and claim remains. They assigned each body a reference number as identification efforts continued.
China also sent additional relief supplies to Nepal, including drones, DNA testing equipment and water purification equipment. Chinese DNA testing experts will assist Nepal with identifying bodies, according to China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.
Glacial collapse triggered floods
The disaster began in the Himalayas when a glacial collapse sent rock, ice and meltwater into valleys below, triggering powerful floods downstream in Tibet and Nepal.
Scientists examining satellite images said bedrock beneath a glacier appears to have failed. The resulting rockfall generated enough force to register as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event.
The resulting surge of water and debris entered rivers flowing through Tibet and Nepal, rapidly raising water levels and sweeping away homes, buildings, roads and bridges.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah said Monday that the disaster demonstrated the increasing risks facing the Himalayan region as a result of climate change.
“This incident has indicated that the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing with climate change,” Shah said in a social media post. “Therefore, this region must be alert, and at the same time, it is time for us to strongly raise the issue of disasters caused by climate change before the international community.”
Provided by Dallas Express
