Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Sep 1
Nepal Reaches 1 Missing American as Flood Death Toll Tops 1,050
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Sep 1

Nepal Reaches 1 Missing American as Flood Death Toll Tops 1,050

3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Sep 1

Summary

  • Nepali officials said rescuers have made contact with 1 of about 85 Americans still listed missing after the Nepal-Tibet flash floods, though the person's identity, location and condition were not yet clear.
  • A Nepal Tourism Board document showed teams were also in contact with 4 other missing foreigners—3 Spaniards and 1 Belgian—and had rescued 315 foreign nationals in total.
  • At least 1,050 people were confirmed dead and more than 4,600 remained missing in Nepal on Tuesday; China reported 16 dead and more than 550 missing in Tibet.
  • About 600 hydroelectric workers are believed trapped in mud-blocked tunnels in Nepal, where rescuers are racing to clear access amid fears oxygen could run out.
  • The disaster began nearly a week ago when a mountainside and glacier collapse triggered avalanches and then flash floods; Nepal's foreign minister said some missing trekkers may be stranded without communications rather than dead.

Insights

With massive secondary floods looming, can search teams locate the missing trekkers before unstable terrain collapses again?
How can rescuers reach hundreds trapped in mud-clogged Himalayan tunnels before their oxygen completely runs out?
Are hidden glacial lakes and climate blind spots turning Himalayan pilgrimage routes into unpredictable death traps?