Eight days after the “Himalayan tsunami,” only mud and ruins remain / Nearly 1,300 dead and 5,600 missing

Eight days after the flash flood that occurred on August 26 in Nepal and Tibet, the provisional death toll has reached 1,280, with 5,624 people still missing. The disaster struck the Trishuli River valley after a glacier collapsed on Langtang Lirung, at an altitude of approximately 5,200 meters, and a torrent of water, ice, mud, and rocks swept away villages, roads, bridges, and hydropower plants.

The vast majority of the victims, 1,259, were recorded in Nepal, while another 21 were in Tibet. Approximately 800 foreign nationals are among those missing. Nearly 85,000 people were affected and left without homes.

Rescue teams continue their searches, but access to the devastated areas is extremely difficult. Aid is being transported by helicopters, drones, or porters, while excavators and controlled explosions are being used to clear the tunnels of the hydropower plants. Approximately 900 workers are still missing at six energy projects.

More than 500 engineers are coordinating operations through a WhatsApp group, sharing plans and information about the buried tunnels. So far, no survivors have been found in these galleries. Authorities and experts warn that global warming and the retreat of glaciers could contribute to new devastating flash floods in the Himalayas.