Nepalese authorities have reported hundreds of fatalities across the worst-affected areas, while Chinese authorities have also confirmed deaths in Tibet’s Gyirong County. The number of people still unaccounted for remains close to 3,000, raising fears that the final death toll could increase further as rescue teams reach isolated communities.
More than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal, according to the Red Cross, but emergency crews are still searching for people who may be trapped or stranded. At least 93,000 people are estimated to have been affected by the disaster.
Among those missing are foreign nationals, including tourists, workers and Hindu pilgrims travelling towards Mount Kailash in Tibet. Two Irish citizens have also been reported missing, they have been named as 46-year-old Santosh Sahu and 18-year-old Spandan Sahu.
The floods caused widespread devastation across the Himalayan region, with entire settlements swept away by fast-moving water, mud and debris. Survivors have described watching homes disappear and being separated from relatives as the disaster unfolded.
The search has been made more difficult by damaged roads and bridges, while poor weather has restricted helicopter operations. In one of the most serious rescue operations, teams have been working to reach people believed to be trapped inside tunnels at a hydropower project in Nepal's Trishuli valley.
The Nepalese government has said it needs international assistance as it deals with the scale of the disaster. Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle has estimated that the country could require between $4 billion and $5 billion to rebuild, although he stressed that the figure remains provisional while the full extent of the damage is assessed.
Nepal has requested specialised foreign assistance in areas such as rescuing people trapped underground, restoring damaged transport and communication networks, identifying victims and conducting DNA testing. India and China have also been asked to provide temporary bridges to help reconnect communities cut off by the destruction.
The government says Nepal's own emergency services are capable of handling the general search-and-rescue effort, but additional technical expertise is needed for some of the more complex recovery operations.
As rescuers continue searching for missing people, families across Nepal and the region remain desperate for news of loved ones. With communities destroyed and thousands still unaccounted for, authorities face a race against time to find survivors while beginning the enormous task of helping those affected rebuild their lives.
