An unnamed British man has been rescued a week after devastating flash floods struck Nepal, as the death toll passed a grim milestone. Floodwaters surged across the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, sweeping away homes, buildings, roads and bridges. The disaster has killed more than 1,000 people.
The Brit was found alive by rescuers and is now in their care. A search and rescue spokesperson said: “We have rescued 118 Nepalese people… 44 are female and 74 are male. We have also rescued one British male during this search and rescue operation.”
Death toll and missing
Disaster officials said at least 1,050 people in Nepal were killed by the floods, with more than 4,000 people still missing. Chinese officials confirmed that 16 people had been killed in Tibet, on the other side of the border.
The floods were triggered by a glacier collapse on Langtang Lirung on August 26. Rescue teams with search dogs continued to search through mud, rocks and debris on the border with Nepal and China for the thousands still missing.
Rescue efforts hampered
The scale of the disaster is hampering rescue efforts in both countries, with landslides, destroyed roads and widespread damage cutting off remote areas. Rescuers are racing to reach hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower projects in Nepal damaged by the floods. About 900 workers are missing from 12 projects, with roughly 500 believed to be trapped in tunnels, according to local authorities.
An army spokesperson said teams assisted by foreign experts were working at several hydropower projects. Images released by the army showed rescue teams entering debris-filled tunnels and wading through mud and water in the search for signs of life.
Chinese side and Kathmandu
On the Chinese side, rescue crews scoured areas hit by mudslides, particularly around the Gyirong Port border crossing, which was destroyed. Some rescuers, aided by search dogs, searched gaps among rocks and debris for signs of life. Other teams used heavy machinery to clear a major highway leading to Gyirong Port, hoping to clear the way for equipment, personnel and supplies to reach the disaster zone.
In Kathmandu, police worked in heavy rain on Tuesday to bury dozens of bodies in multiple trenches next to a forested area. Bimal Sharma, a helicopter pilot who has been flying rescue and relief missions, said he was shocked to see the devastation in Timure, a border town close to Tibet that he has known for years. “It felt like I was flying over an entirely different landscape,” he said, adding that he has had little opportunity to speak with the people he rescued. "I can see the pain in their eyes. It’s heartbreaking," he said.
