An earthquake of magnitude 5 struck Tibet on Thursday, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The quake occurred at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), GFZ said. The earthquake struck as rescue and recovery operations continued in Tibet following catastrophic flooding near the Gyirong border crossing with Nepal last week.
China on Wednesday fully reopened the only road leading to the Gyirong crossing after sections of it were washed away, allowing heavy machinery to reach the main disaster zone for the first time, Reuters reported. The damage to the G216 national highway had earlier forced authorities to airdrop equipment and supplies to frontline rescuers, while some teams trekked through the mountains to reach the affected area.
China's official death toll from the flooding in Tibet had risen to 21 by Wednesday, with 541 people still missing, according to Reuters. The missing included 104 Nepali citizens, 49 Indians, 33 Latvians and six Canadians, authorities had previously said. Rescue operations have been hampered by persistent rain, unstable cliffs and the fast-flowing river in the narrow mountain gorge, though authorities said the risks from monitored upstream lakes had diminished. Landslides, however, remained a concern.
Across the border, Nepal's flash flood death toll has risen to 1,252, while around 4,216 people remain missing or out of contact, according to the latest update issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Thursday. The highest number of bodies has been recovered from Chitwan, at 355, followed by Nawalparasi East with 218, Nawalparasi West with 208, Nuwakot with 177 and Rasuwa with 127. Bodies have also been recovered from Gorkha, Dhading and Tanahun. Only 95 bodies have so far been identified and handed over to relatives, according to the NDRRMA.
Around 11,993 people have been rescued and 5,135 injured people have received medical treatment. The missing include about 900 people linked to hydroelectric projects, as well as around 583 foreign citizens and 164 Nepalis accompanying foreign tourists. Search and rescue operations remain focused on areas affected by landslides, floodwaters and debris, with more than 21,000 security personnel deployed for rescue, search and relief operations.
Rescue efforts have increasingly centred on hydropower tunnels, where authorities believe some of the missing workers may have survived after being cut off by floodwaters and debris, Reuters reported. “We are very confident that there is life in there because ... there is food and water in the building, that was likely built for communication purposes and as a resting place,” Amshu Kiran Shahi, a board member of the Nepal Electricity Authority, told Reuters.
Nepal foreign minister Shisir Khanal, meanwhile, described the disaster as a “Himalayan Tsunami” while briefing diplomats in Kathmandu on Thursday. “I want to call the disaster the Himalayan Tsunami as we have not experienced such a massive disaster in our recent memory,” Khanal said. The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages across northern and central Nepal. Specialised rescue teams from India, China and the United States were involved in tunnel rescue attempts.
Meanwhile, Nepal plans to rebuild an early-warning system for landslides along part of its border with China after the glacial flood swept away existing monitoring infrastructure, Reuters reported, citing two Nepali government sources. The new system is expected to include seismic sensors, cameras and a satellite link to help authorities monitor fresh hazards and issue warnings. The immediate danger from two barrier lakes near the border has passed after they drained, but the terrain remains unstable and is being closely watched.
