Nepal and China resumed rescue operations in the flood-hit Himalayas on Friday after concerns over an overflowing lake eased. Wednesday's glacier-collapse flood killed 547 people in Nepal and five in China’s Tibet, with almost 1,000 more missing. The lake’s water level rose to more than 2.5 million cubic metres, briefly forcing a suspension of rescue work. China’s Politburo also met to direct rescue efforts and call for stronger monitoring of glacier and landslide risks.
Aftermath of flash floods and mudslide at Trishuli Bazaar army training centre in Nuwakot, Nepal, Aug. 28, 2026. Yonhap
NUWAKOT, Nepal — Nepal and China resumed rescue operations that had been suspended briefly in the flood-hit Himalayas on Friday after risks from an overflowing lake were found to be manageable, easing fears of fresh devastation.
Wednesday's catastrophic flood caused by a glacier collapse killed 547 people in Nepal and five in China's Tibet, with almost 1,000 more missing in the two countries.
A huge torrent of rock, ice, mud and debris cascaded through Himalayan mountain river systems after the collapse, and also led to the formation of a lake where water continued to collect and rise.
