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Search efforts following last Wednesday's massive Bhote Koshi river flood are ongoing, accompanied by the identification of bodies, and authorities on both sides of the border have now counted 804 dead swept away by the mudflow and more than 3,000 missing.
On the Nepal border and the Chinese autonomous region of Tibet, the search continues to locate the missing, especially in the tunnels of hydroelectric plants where it is feared that more than 900 people may be, and where international teams are already assisting.
Here is the latest on the tragedy:
Latest balance
Nepali authorities have raised the number of confirmed deaths to 788, a figure that, together with the 16 deaths reported by China, brings the total death toll on both sides of the border to 804, with no evidence of coordination between the two parties to verify figures.
On the Chinese side, authorities report 546 missing persons, and on the Nepali side more than 2,500, including hundreds of foreign tourists.
Nepal states that it has already rescued a total of 8,730 people, including 279 by helicopter from the hydroelectric projects and 227 foreigners.
Nepal manages to contact 3 Spaniards
The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) reported that authorities have managed to contact three Spanish citizens and that they have rescued 289 tourists today.
The report does not specify whether the Spaniards have been evacuated from the area or if they are awaiting rescue at their locations, nor does it provide details on whether there are still missing Spanish nationals. However, a count released this Sunday by the Chinese state media CCTV lists a Spanish citizen among the missing for the first time.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Saturday that two Spaniards remained missing and has not provided new information.
The search focuses on the tunnels
In addition to the more than 19,800 Nepalese Army and Police personnel deployed for rescue operations, specialized international teams have joined in the search for the more than 900 people feared to have been trapped in the tunnels of hydroelectric plants.
The arrival of these teams also responds to one of the main demands of the families of workers missing in the hydroelectric facilities, who have been demanding for days that the Nepali Government provide technical capabilities they consider insufficient for an operation of this complexity.
Meanwhile, Chinese authorities partially restored communications this Sunday in the vicinity of the Gyirong border crossing, which was devastated by the flood.
The flood destroyed roads, power lines, and telecommunications networks, which during the first few days hindered both land access and the transmission of information from the heart of the disaster, according to official Chinese media.
The new dam formed is emptying
The new natural dam formed by a landslide in the area affected by the flood in southwestern Tibet has begun to drain naturally and is now "practically emptied," according to the latest balance from the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management.
The water accumulation had begun to form during Saturday night after surveillance drones detected a new landslide on a slope located about 2.8 kilometers downstream from another natural dam that appeared after the disaster.
The dislodged material blocked the channel and led authorities to preventively move the teams participating in search and rescue operations near the Gyirong border crossing to a safe area.
Identification of bodies
In addition to the rescue teams, India has also sent 18 Indian forensic experts specializing in DNA analysis to help identify the recovered bodies, while authorities are provisionally burying some bodies that have not been identified.
The Nepali government explained that some unidentified bodies or those in an advanced state of decomposition have been buried provisionally following established protocols, including those recommended by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The Pope's appeal
Pope Leo XIV encouraged providing aid to Nepal and Tibet this Sunday to alleviate the situation following last Wednesday's severe flood, which has resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands missing.
"I assure my prayers to those affected by the terrible flood in Nepal and Tibet," declared the pontiff after the Angelus prayer, "may everyone's attention alleviate the suffering and provide the necessary aid to the population."
[Publicidad]