KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nearly 3,000 people remained missing Saturday after catastrophic flooding swept through communities along the Nepal-Tibet border, as rescuers continued searching through thick mud and widespread debris.
The confirmed death toll has reached 682, including 675 deaths in Nepal and seven in Tibet, according to the latest figures reported by authorities. Seven other bodies believed to have been carried downstream from Nepal were recovered in India.
In Nepal, 2,426 people remained unaccounted for, while Chinese authorities reported 554 missing in Tibet. The missing include hundreds of foreign nationals, tourists, pilgrims and workers at hydropower projects.
More than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal, but search operations remain difficult because of destroyed roads and bridges, mountainous terrain, deep mud and unstable weather conditions.
Rescuers were also working to reach about 100 people believed to be trapped inside a mud-filled tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project. A specialized rescue team from India arrived to assist in the operation.
The floods struck Wednesday after a glacial collapse unleashed a powerful torrent of water, ice, mud and debris through river valleys in the Himalayan region, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The disaster devastated villages, border facilities and major infrastructure, including the Gyirong border crossing in Tibet. Authorities are monitoring newly formed lakes amid concerns that further flooding could threaten affected communities and rescue teams.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimated that as many as 93,000 people may have been affected by the disaster.























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