93,000 people affected by floods and landslides in the Himalayas

The death toll from the devastating floods and landslides in the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet has risen to 562, including five in Tibet. More than a thousand people, both local and foreign nationals, are still missing.

According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), at least 93,000 people have been directly affected by the disaster and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Relief officials have also expressed concern over the risk of further flooding, as reported by international news agencies .

David Fisher, head of the IFRC delegation, said at a press briefing in Geneva on Friday that they believe at least 93,000 people have been affected and require extensive support, but they are extremely concerned about the possibility of a second wave of floods .

According to Reuters, several relief trucks were stranded after a lake formed by the landslide burst its banks, causing water to overflow. This temporarily disrupted rescue and relief operations .

Kamal Kishore, head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, also expressed concern about the risk of further disasters. He said in one sense, the disaster has not yet fully ended, and from some perspectives, the situation is still ongoing .

At the same briefing, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said six health centres were damaged by the landslides and eight health workers are still missing .

Meanwhile, the US Geological Survey confirmed that the incident was caused by a "glacial collapse" rather than an earthquake, as initially suspected, with the impact registering a magnitude equivalent to 5.2 on the seismic scale .

Search and rescue operations are continuing in various areas of Nepal and Tibet. However, the risk of renewed flooding is making the work of rescue and relief workers even more difficult, with scientists warning of potential secondary floods .