Rescue work resumes in Nepal‑Tibet floods as lake overflow risk eases
Floods triggered by a glacier collapse have killed hundreds, left thousands missing and prompted aid pledges from Canada and the EU.
Flash floods caused by a glacier break and subsequent landslide on the Nepal‑Tibet border have killed at least 579 people and left nearly 2,000 missing. Rescue teams have now resumed search‑and‑rescue work after satellite data showed the risk of an upstream lake bursting has diminished.
Authorities in both countries warned that two newly formed glacial lakes could overflow, threatening further devastation. With the immediate danger receding, crews are focusing on locating survivors, retrieving bodies and delivering emergency supplies to isolated villages.
International aid flows in
Canada announced a CAN$5 million (US$3.6 million) humanitarian package to support relief operations. Randeep Sarai, Canada’s secretary of state for international development, told reporters:
We are announcing that Canada is providing $5 million in humanitarian assistance to support emergency relief efforts in Nepal.
The European Union pledged two million euros, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying the funds will help deliver life‑saving assistance to the hardest‑hit families.
Ground reality and missing persons
The International Federation of the Red Cross estimates that around 93,000 people have been affected, with 584 bodies recovered so far. David Fisher, head of the Red Cross for Nepal, warned that hundreds of high‑altitude lakes remain a flood risk.
Four French nationals are among the missing, according to the French Foreign Ministry. Deputy spokesperson Glenn Salic said the embassy in Kathmandu is working with local authorities to locate them.
UNICEF reported that at least 17,000 children need urgent aid, and more than 30 schools have been damaged or destroyed, many now serving as emergency shelters.
What comes next
Rescue teams expect the next few days to be critical as they navigate treacherous terrain and monitor the stability of the glacial lakes. Nepal’s foreign ministry has said it does not yet require foreign search‑and‑rescue teams, though several countries, including South Korea, have offered assistance.
Long‑term, the disaster may spur regional cooperation on glacial‑lake monitoring and infrastructure upgrades to mitigate future flood threats in the Himalayas.
