Rescue teams are pushing through thick mud and heavy wreckage along the China-Nepal border, searching for thousands of people missing after massive flash floods tore through mountain communities.
At least 750 people have died—more than 734 in Nepal and at least 16 in China—according to local authorities. About 3,000 others remain unaccounted for across the rugged terrain, though emergency crews have pulled nearly 3,000 survivors from the debris.
Nepal has deployed more than 8,000 military service members to the disaster zone, joined by specialized teams from India, China, and South Korea. In Devighat, Nepal, search teams and dogs are combing debris fields where homes and roads once stood, while downstream crews dig mass graves to handle the bodies washing ashore.
A major focus of the rescue effort centers on the Trishuli-3A Hydropower Project, where roughly 900 workers remain missing after tunnels were buried under sludge.
Crews are pumping air into the underground systems and planning to drill access points from above. Nepal’s Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation reported “some success” in accessing the buried tunnel complex, though emergency personnel have not yet established contact with anyone trapped inside.
Entire villages remain cut off after swollen rivers wiped out bridges, power networks, and roads. Survivors who returned to inspect the damage found homes filled with river sediment, fallen trees, and debris.
International travelers are among those caught in the disaster. U.S. officials report approximately 90 Americans missing, including a group of hikers from Virginia last accounted for near the Gyirong border crossing.
International aid groups warn that conditions could worsen. UNICEF estimates that more than 17,000 children need immediate humanitarian support, citing rising risks of malnutrition, waterborne illnesses, and separation from family members. The agency has appealed for $17 million in emergency funds, while Nepalese officials project that long-term recovery will require between $4 billion and $5 billion to repair basic infrastructure and identify remains.
Weather forecasts indicate incoming monsoon showers will likely drop two to four inches of rain over the valley over the next few days, threatening to trigger fresh mudslides and destabilize ongoing rescue operations.
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