Nepal flash floods death toll rises to 784, over 3,000 still missing

The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 768, with more than 2,500 people still missing, according to the country's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority on Sunday, August 30. When combined with casualties from the Tibet region, the overall death toll stands at 784, with 3,044 people unaccounted for .

According to the latest update from Nepal's disaster authority, the number of missing persons stood at 2,426 on Saturday evening. Within a day, the figure rose by 72, reaching 2,498 . Among the missing are 589 foreign nationals, up from the previously reported 517 . The authority also reported that 933 hydropower project workers remain missing after a torrent of water swept through the riverbanks .

Meanwhile, Chinese state media reported 16 deaths in Tibet and 546 people missing following the floods . Combined with Nepal's figures, the overall death toll reaches 784, with 3,044 missing. Rescue operations have entered their fifth day, with teams continuing their search for thousands of people still unaccounted for near the China-Nepal border .

The disaster struck on Wednesday morning after a glacial collapse sent a wall of water, ice and debris through Himalayan valleys, sweeping away villages and damaging major infrastructure . The Nepal Army has inserted a pipe into a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric site and begun sending air through a small opening, where more than 100 workers are believed to be trapped . Rescue operations, however, have been hampered by rain and rising river levels .

Nepal's Foreign Minister and the UN climate chief have warned of the growing threat of global warming to the Himalayan region. According to experts, the flood was caused by glacier instability under the long-term effects of climate change . The disaster has severely affected Nepal's hydropower sector and pilgrimage routes, with hundreds of Hindu pilgrims travelling towards Mount Kailash also reported missing .