Nepal and Tibet Floods Day 6: Death Toll Exceeds 900, Over 4,200 Missing
KATHMANDU : In the border areas of Nepal and Tibet, rescue operations started their sixth day in a row after flash floods claimed more than 900 lives and 4,247 people remain unaccounted for.
Rescue teams have been able to successfully bore an access hole into the debris at the site of the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric project, which will enable their entry to search for possible victims.
International media reports say that the missing include 3655 Nepal nationals and 592 foreign nationals. Included in them are 933 workers of different hydropower projects and 102 Nepalese military, police and customs officials.Nepal’s death toll has climbed to 903 from Sunday’s reported 781 as dozens of bodies continue to be recovered each day.
In the meantime, the official Chinese state media reports that 20 people have been killed in Tibet and 546 remain missing. The rescue teams have not yet found any survivors in the worst hit areas in Shigatse, authorities said. As of yet, the Nepalese Ministry of Education reports that at least 19 schools in the three most affected districts have been badly damaged.
At least nine schools have been totally destroyed and seven others are partially damaged, with several schools reporting the loss of teachers and students, the ministry said.A fresh assessment made by the Ministry of Education and Sports shows that more than 200 students are missing, while about 20 students were swept away by the torrential waters.