According to AFP, on August 27 (local time), rescue teams in Nepal are continuing to search for missing people in the thick mud after flash floods and landslides occurred in the border area between Nepal and the Tibetan Autonomous Region (China).
Many villages have been completely swept away by floods and mud.
As of August 27, Nepal police said that the number of victims has increased to 392. About 910 people in Nepal are still out of contact, including 517 foreign tourists.
China said that about 100 of its citizens are missing in Nepal and have not been included in the list.
Indian citizens account for the largest number in the group of missing foreigners. The US side informed that 90 of its citizens are still unreachable.
The Nepal Tourism Board informed that, in addition to Indian and American citizens, the foreigners who lost contact came from Australia, the UK, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa and South Korea.
In Tibet (China), state media reported that mudslides at Gyirong port killed 3 people and 558 people went missing, including 260 foreigners.
On August 27, Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in the affected area to direct rescue and disaster recovery efforts.
Rescue forces are urgently searching and taking survivors out of isolated areas. In Nepal, soldiers are using sniffer dogs to search for victims who may be buried under layers of mud.
Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah visited some heavily affected areas. He requested local authorities to urgently support families who have to evacuate and clear cut roads.
Experts warn of the risk of further flooding as water continues to be concentrated behind large blocks of soil and rock blocking the valley.
Mr. Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risk research at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), said that the risk of a second flood is still present due to the unresolved upstream flow congestion.
The Nepal Flood Forecasting Agency on August 27 issued a special warning stating that a lake is forming behind the rocks left by the landslide, and at the same time advised people to raise their vigilance.
