Rescuers are trying to reach dozens of hydropower workers trapped in flooded tunnels, but have been hampered by further rainfall.
Several countries and the European Union have pledged millions in aidImage: Lhasa fire/Xinhua/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance
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The combined death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 750 on Sunday, with more than 3,000 people still missing, authorities said.
A fresh flood alert was issued after river levels rose again, while Tibetan authorities warned of a new barrier lake forming behind landslide debris.
Several scientists believe a glacier collapse in the Himalayas may have triggered Wednesday's disaster, sending huge volumes of water down a river valley.
Nepal flood survivors still searching for some 3,000 missing
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What's the latest on the floods?
Nepal's disaster authority put the number killed on its side of the border at 734, while Chinese state media confirmed 16 dead in Tibet, an autonomous region of China.
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Chinese authorities said the dead included over a hundred Nepalis and people from more than a dozen countries.
The Nepalese disaster agency issued a warning for fresh floods on Sunday and told residents around the Bhotekoshi River to remain on high alert as water levels rose.
Flood warning notices were sent to residents' phones, advising them to move to higher ground.
On the Tibet side, Chinese state media said monitoring drones on Saturday night had picked up a new lake forming from a barrier created by a landslide near the Gyirong border port.
Rescue teams near the Gyirong border port were moved because of the risk of the barrier bursting.
Nepal's disaster agency has issued a warning for fresh floodsImage: Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance
Hydropower workers still trapped in tunnels
Meanwhile, Nepalese rescuers are trying to reach more than 100 hydropower workers believed trapped and still alive in tunnels swamped by flood debris.
Rescue teams are focusing on several hydropower projects on the Trishuli River, where more than 900 workers went missing during the floods.
At one of the sites on Saturday night, army teams used drills to break into the upper part of a mud-swamped tunnel to pump oxygen and deliver a camera inside.
Nepal's prime minister's office said that teams faced "continuous rainfall and difficult conditions" but had worked nonstop overnight, "making tireless efforts to search for and rescue those who may be trapped."
Several thousand people remain missing, four days after the floods hitImage: Niranjan Shrestha/AP Photo/picture alliance
Rescue effort bolstered by neighbors
Specialized teams from India and China have joined the rescue effort, along with Nepal's mountain rescue squad, which helps climbers on the world's highest peaks, including Everest.
Nepalese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri said the country needed assistance in such areas as tunnel rescue, DNA testing and identifying the victims.
The US State Department wrote on X that it would provide $3.6 million (€3.1 million) in "life-saving humanitarian assistance" to Nepal, including up to three months of emergency food aid for up to 10,000 flood-affected households.
The Red Cross estimates that more than 90,000 people are likely to have been affected by the disaster.
Rescuers in the Himalayas are searching for survivors using helicopters, drones and their bare hands. Many families are still waiting for a sign of life from their loved ones.
Image: Navesh Chitrakar/REUTERS
Evacuations by air
Following the flash flood in the Nepal-China border region, rescue workers are continuing round-the-clock efforts to find missing people. Survivors are being airlifted from remote villages, and police say around 1,500 injured residents and people stranded by the disaster have been rescued so far. Hundreds of those affected are currently being sheltered at military bases.
Many family members are still waiting for a sign of life from their missing relatives and friends. According to Nepalese authorities, about 1,400 people are listed as missing, including numerous foreign tourists and Hindu pilgrims. In China, the Gyirong border crossing, a key trade and tourism link between Tibet and Nepal, was also severely damaged.
Image: Athit Perawongmetha/REUTERS
Rescue by any means necessary
A massive flash flood of water, mud and debris raced through Nepal for nearly 170 kilometers (105 miles) along two rivers, sweeping away entire villages in its path. To search for survivors in the nearly completely destroyed settlements, emergency responders are using drones, thermal imaging cameras and 3D models.
Image: Navesh Chitrakar/REUTERS
Safe and sound
A woman covered in mud is brought to safety in a large excavator bucket. In some cases, rescue workers are even digging through mud and debris with their bare hands to search for survivors. The rescue efforts in the Himalayas remain a race against time, and every person rescued gives new hope to the rescue teams and the victims' families.
Image: Navesh Chitrakar/REUTERS
Warning of a new flash flood
Authorities have warned of possible further flooding in the disaster-hit region, where an estimated 2 million cubic meters of water have accumulated in a lake. Nepalese police say a dam may have burst on the Tibetan side, which prompted a temporary suspension of rescue operations there.
"It will still take some time before we have a complete picture of those missing, as the situation remains unclear at this time," police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle told the German press agency, dpa. According to police, it's likely to take several more days to identify many of the deceased.
Image: Navesh Chitrakar/REUTERS
Rescued twins
At the Trishuli camp for survivors of the disaster, female Nepalese soldiers are caring for twin babies. Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah visited the disaster area and pledged comprehensive support. Upcoming weather conditions could further complicate rescue efforts. According to forecasts, more rainfall is expected over the next three days.
Image: Prabin Ranabhat/AFP
Small glimmers of hope
International aid efforts are ramping up. Caritas International has pledged an initial €50,000 (about $58,000) in emergency funds, while a WHO team is providing medical equipment, tents and relief supplies for up to 10,000 people. Shipments from the World Food Program and UNICEF are also en route. Amid the devastation, there is some hope: 116 people have been rescued from the village of Timure.
Image: Arun Sankar/AFP
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Edited by: Natalie Muller
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