Kathmandu [Nepal], August 31: The death toll from catastrophic flash floods along the Nepal-China border has risen to more than 800, as fresh flood warnings, landslides and a newly formed lake continued to hamper rescue operations on Sunday.
Nepalese police said 788 bodies had now been recovered, while China continued to report 16 deaths in Tibet, bringing the overall confirmed death toll to 804.
More than 3,000 people remain missing on both sides of the border, including hundreds of foreign nationals.
Meanwhile, Chinese authorities were monitoring a new lake that formed upstream from the Gyirong border crossing in south-western Tibet, where Chinese search operations have been concentrated.
The lake formed after a landslide blocked the Purepuqiang-Zangbu river following Wednesday's flooding. Rescue workers at Gyirong were moved to safety on Saturday evening after the lake was discovered.
Experts were monitoring the lake with a reconnaissance drone amid concerns that the accumulated water could break through the mud and debris holding it back and trigger another flood. A similar temporary lake formed in the area two days earlier, raising fears of another surge of water, but later drained without incident.
Across the border, Nepalese authorities repeatedly issued flood warnings to mobile phones on Sunday, urging people in affected areas to remain vigilant and stay away from rivers.
One witness reported seeing large numbers of people in the Battar area of Nuwakot district fleeing uphill to reach safer ground.
97-year-old rescued after days Despite dwindling hopes of finding more survivors, rescuers on Saturday pulled a 97-year-old woman alive from the ruins of a nursing home in Tupche, days after the disaster.
Rescuers carried the woman to safety in the bucket of an excavator. "When my grandmother was lifted out (of the debris) and put on the excavator, she smiled as if she were a warrior that had returned after being victorious in a war," her great-nephew told the BBC.
Hundreds of hydropower workers missing
The fate of hundreds of workers missing from hydropower projects in Nepal also remains unclear. Authorities believe some may have sought shelter in a tunnel at one of the facilities.
Specialist teams from India and China have arrived to assist with the complex search and recovery operation.
At the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower plant, rescuers managed to dig an access route, according to video posted on social media. However, officials said a flood surge had caused the Trishuli river to rise by between 5 and 10 metres, causing erosion along its banks and complicating the operation.
US pledges aid as landslide blocks key highway
Nepalese Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has appealed for international assistance with both emergency relief and reconstruction.
The United States has pledged $3.6 million in disaster assistance, including up to three months of emergency food assistance for as many as 10,000 flood-affected households, the State Department said.
Source: Qatar Tribune
