The death toll after a massive flash flood last week at the Himalayan border between Nepal and China has risen more than 1,000 people, local authorities said on Tuesday.
In Nepal, 987 deaths have already been reported, with almost 4,000 people still being unaccounted for. In China,16 deaths and 546 missing people have been reported.Â
The list of missing people includes some 800 foreign nationals.
Search and rescue teams are still carrying out operations despite difficult conditions and unstable terrain.
Search dogs are also taking part in the search efforts through mud, rocks and debris the flash floods left behind.
Roads were destroyed in places, cutting off access.
Efforts are also being made to locate the some 500 workers believed to be trapped inside the tunnels of twelve hydropower project tunnels, according to Nepalese authorities.
Climate change raises risk for region, PM says
The flash floods on August 28, started as a glacial collapse in the Himalayas triggered a powerful stream of rock, ice and meltwater into the valleys below.
The stream was so powerful that a seismic event of 5.2 magnitude was recorded.
Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah reacted to the disaster by emphasizing the need to fight climate change.
“This incident has indicated that the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing with climate change,” he posted on social media.
“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.”
Edited by: Wesley RahnÂ
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