PTC Web Desk: Nepal’s devastating floods and mudslides have claimed at least 903 lives, while more than 4,200 persons remain missing, as rescue teams continue a difficult search for survivors and victims across the worst-hit areas.

The disaster struck August 26 along the Nepal-Tibet border, when a huge mass of ice, rocks, mud and debris swept through settlements in Nepal before affecting areas across the border in China.

The scale of the destruction has overwhelmed rescue and recovery teams, with hundreds of people still unaccounted for and several hydropower project workers feared trapped inside tunnels blocked by mud and debris.

China’s state media has reported 16 deaths and 546 persons missing in Tibet, taking the reported death toll on the Nepal-China side to 919.

Rescue operation inside blocked hydropower tunnels

One of the biggest challenges facing rescuers is reaching people believed to be trapped inside hydropower project tunnels.

Rescue teams backed by Indian and Chinese specialists are working alongside Nepal’s security forces at several project sites. The Trishuli-3A hydropower project is among the locations where teams are trying to clear entrances blocked by thick layers of mud, rocks and other debris.

Nepal’s disaster management authorities have said that around 933 persons associated with hydropower projects are missing.

An Indian tunnel rescue team has also been working with the Nepali Army at hydropower sites in Chilime and Langtang. Heavy earth-moving equipment and security personnel have been deployed to clear the debris.

Nepali Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said the huge quantity of mud and rocks has made it extremely difficult for rescuers to gain access to the tunnels.

Teams are also trying to establish contact with people who may still be inside. However, rescuers have so far struggled to receive a response from the blocked tunnels.

Scientists find evidence of massive ice-rock avalanche

A preliminary assessment by Nepali scientists has pointed to a massive ice-rock avalanche as the likely trigger of the disaster.

The avalanche reportedly occurred at an altitude of around 5,200 metre in the Langtang-Lirung area of Rasuwa district.

The falling ice and rocks entered Lhende River, sending a massive surge into the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems.

Scientists have indicated that the event does not fit the pattern of a conventional glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), with the avalanche and resulting debris playing a major role in the disaster.

Hundreds of bodies recovered, identification a major challenge

Authorities are facing another difficult task;  identifying and safely preserving the bodies being recovered from the flood-hit areas.

In Chitwan’s Devghat forest, hundreds of graves have reportedly been prepared for unidentified victims. Around 196 bodies were buried over two days, according to the information provided by local authorities.

Many bodies remained in water for an extended period and have deteriorated, making visual identification increasingly difficult.

Authorities are assigning identification numbers to recovered bodies and maintaining records of each case. DNA testing is expected to play an important role in identifying victims and eventually handing their remains over to their families.

With thousands of people still missing, officials say the identification process will be crucial in the days ahead.

Nearly 21,000 security personnel involved in rescue

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah has described the floods and landslides as an unprecedented and devastating natural disaster.

Nearly 21,000 security personnel have reportedly been involved in rescue and relief operations.

The Red Cross estimates that more than 90,000 people have been affected by the disaster.

Rescue workers continue to search damaged settlements, recover bodies and clear roads and other critical infrastructure buried under mud and debris.

Sadhguru announces Rs 1 crore aid for Nepal

Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has announced a contribution of Rs 1 crore towards Nepal’s disaster relief efforts.

He made the announcement during the ‘In Solidarity With Nepal’ event in Kathmandu on Sunday.

Sadhguru said Nepal should not have to face such a massive disaster alone. He also suggested creating a joint Himalayan board involving India, China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan to improve disaster preparedness and coordinate relief operations across the Himalayan region.

Key Nepal-China trade route badly damaged

The floods have also caused major damage to the important Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border route, one of Nepal’s key trade links with China.

The border checkpoint, the Friendship Bridge connecting Nepal and China, and large parts of Timure have reportedly been damaged.

The route is particularly important for Nepal because a significant amount of goods imported from China enters the country through this corridor.

With the route disrupted, cross-border movement and trade have been affected, adding to the economic difficulties caused by the disaster.

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The floods also disrupted electricity supplies across several affected districts. Nepal’s authorities have been working to restore electricity while arranging alternative sources of power in areas where the regular network remains damaged.

Officials said electricity has been restored in around 90 per cent of the affected areas of Nuwakot, while restoration work is continuing in Rasuwa.

To address the shortage of electricity and lighting, authorities have also arranged 2-kilowatt institutional solar systems and 500 solar sets of 20 watts each for affected communities.

The equipment was reportedly sent to the disaster-hit areas through a one-door distribution system.

China steps up rescue efforts

Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed authorities to make every possible effort to locate people still missing after the disaster.

He has also called for rescue and relief operations to be strengthened in the affected areas of Tibet.

With Nepal and Tibet both dealing with deaths, missing people and widespread infrastructure damage, rescue agencies on both sides of the border continue to face difficult terrain and large quantities of debris.