Death toll nears 700 and almost 3,000 missing after Nepal flash floods
More than 30 British nationals are among hundreds of people missing as the search for survivors enters its fourth day
The death toll from the flooding in Nepal has reached almost 700 ahead of a team arriving from the UK to provide support.
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675 people have been confirmed dead, while almost 3,000 people are missing, Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said on Saturday.
The District Administration Office in the Nepalese district of Chitwan said it had only been able to identify four of the 233 bodies recovered.
It said DNA samples were being taken from the bodies which were “in a state of decomposition and no longer identifiable”.
More than 30 British nationals are among hundreds of people missing and feared dead as rescue efforts continue after flooding in the Rasuwa district, which borders China’s autonomous region of Tibet.
This specific border region is critical because the disaster originated in the high-altitude Himalayan frontier, where a massive glacial collapse in Tibet sent catastrophic surges of water and debris tearing across the border into Nepal.
In Tibet alone, seven people have been reported dead and 554 people missing, according to the latest figures from Chinese state media.
As the rescue operation entered its fourth day, Nepal Army spokesman Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet said helicopter operations had been suspended on Saturday until weather conditions improved.
The rapid deployment team was due to arrive in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on Saturday to provide support for British nationals and their families.
The team, consisting of specially trained crisis response staff, will work alongside the British embassy and local authorities.
They will help co-ordinate assistance for British nationals arriving at and departing from the airport, support those seeking information about missing relatives, liaise with local authorities and emergency responders, and reinforce existing consular operations on the ground.
Forming part of the UK’s wider response to the flooding, which includes £5 million of humanitarian support for relief and recovery efforts, the team will also work with families in the UK concerned about loved ones in the affected area.
Mr Basnet said rescue efforts were continuing at a hydropower construction plant, where more than 100 people are believed to be trapped in a mud-filled tunnel.
Rescue efforts had been hampered by fears of more flooding from a lake formed by the glacier collapse, which sparked the flooding on Wednesday.
The Chinese Ministry of Water Resources said water levels had dropped by 10 metres from Thursday morning to Friday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said: “The scenes from Nepal are devastating, and our thoughts remain with everyone affected.
“The safety and welfare of British nationals is our top priority. That is why we are deploying a Rapid Deployment Team to Nepal to provide additional support on the ground for British nationals and their families at what is an incredibly difficult time.
“Our staff are working closely with the Nepali authorities, emergency responders and our embassy in Kathmandu to ensure those affected can access the assistance and information they need.
“We will continue to do everything we can to support British nationals impacted by this tragedy.”
The UK’s £5 million support package will support Nepal’s response efforts, including a combination of UN, Red Cross and NGO interventions.
Two teenagers, a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, are among the 33 British nationals believed to be unaccounted for.
Essex nurse Rajendra Pudasaini, president of the Non-Resident Nepali Association UK, said his relatives were “swept away” by the floods, as he launched a fundraiser to support those affected by the disaster.
He said that Nepal was witnessing an “irreplaceable loss” and the country was “paying the price for global warming”.
Bishal Nath Upreti, president of the Nepal Centre for Disaster Management, described the scene as like a “tsunami from the sky” and said villages had been “completely wiped out”.
Nepalese officials said bridges have been destroyed and nearly 25 miles of roads have been damaged, which has complicated search efforts.
A number of those missing had been making a pilgrimage to the sacred Hindu site of Mount Kailash, Nepalese tour operator The Trekkers’ Society said.
The operator said nine British nationals on one of its tours to the site were among those unaccounted for: four males, aged 14, 50, 50 and 54, and five women, aged 40, 46, 50, 50 and 53.
Travel logs show three men aged 65, 64 and 52, and seven women aged 44, 47, 51, 60, 63, 63 and 65, are also among the missing British nationals.
Tour operator Kailash Journeys said it had not been able to account for seven UK nationals: five women and two men aged between 18 and 55, travelling with the company.
The FCDO said: “British nationals in Nepal should follow local authority advice and exercise caution while travelling.
According to Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, Nepal needs $4 billion to $5 billion (£3 billion to £3.7 billion) for rebuilding in the aftermath of the devastating floods.
"This is just an estimate. Loss and damage is being assessed," he said.
Nepal's foreign minister added that the country needs foreign help in specialised and technical areas in which it does not have expertise.
Shisir Khanal said this includes in areas such as rescuing people stuck in tunnels, opening transport and communication services in places where bridges have been destroyed, identification of dead bodies, DNA testing and storing bodies for longer durations.
"We have already made requests for such specialised services and technical assistance in areas where we don't have enough expertise and technical know-how," Mr Khanal said.
Rescue officials in Nepal said many bodies have been washed away and recovered from Chitwan and Nawalparasi in the plains, about 100 km (60 miles) from ground zero.
“More bodies are likely to be recovered from these places where hospitals have been overwhelmed with dead bodies and lack refrigerators to store them,” Mr Khanal said.
Nepalese officials said the flood has caused extensive damage to school buildings, hospitals, hydroelectric plants, roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
Nepal would need foreign support in the reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the future, they said.
Rescue efforts were paused earlier on Friday after fears of a second tsunami striking due to an overflowing mountain lake that was formed by the initial flash flood.
Chinese authorities said on Saturday that the threat had decreased as its size appears to have shrunk.
Satellite images from Thursday to Saturday morning suggest that water in the lake, which straddles the China-Nepal border at the confluence of two rivers, has been slowly flowing through, decreasing the reservoir gradually, state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing the Water Resources Ministry.
The president of the Nepal Centre for Disaster Management said the disaster came at them like a “tsunami from the sky”.
“It’s such a huge debris, and everything on the way was completely washed out,” said Bishal Nath Upreti.
The floods and a "wall of mud" caused rivers to swell their banks and spread thick mud across populated areas, burying houses and creating difficult conditions for rescuers.
CCTV captured the terrifying moment when floods swept through a port in China's Tibet region, before later causing massive havoc in Nepal.
The King said he and the Queen were “heartbroken” and sent their “most profound sympathy” to those affected by the “devastating” flash floods.
The Prince and Princess of Wales said in a written message: “The scale of the devastation along the Nepal-China border is shocking. We are thinking of everyone caught up in this terrible disaster.
“Our thoughts are especially with the families facing an unbearable wait for news and with the communities confronting such immense loss. We are incredibly grateful to all those working in such dangerous conditions to rescue people and support those affected. W & C."
Alpine Eco Trek, which offers guided tours and expeditions in Nepal, confirmed that 12 British nationals on its tour across the Nepal-Tibet border were missing on Wednesday.
Ram Kumar Adhikari, the manager of Alpine Eco Trek, said two Irish nationals and four South African nationals on the excursion are also believed to be missing.
Videos posted on social media showed huge flood waters surging through valleys as people screamed in terror, with bridges being washed away.
Other videos showed people desperately fleeing uphill to escape the surging muddy flood waters.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said a magnitude 5.2 seismic event occurred near the border between Nepal and China on Wednesday at 8.37am local time.
It added that a “glacial collapse and debris flow” caused “subsequent catastrophic impacts downstream”.
Mr Kumar Adhikari, from the affected area, said there was “not much info to share at the moment, but yes, we have 12 British citizens (supposed) to make entry this morning”.
The firm, which also leads tour groups up Mount Everest, confirmed four of its Nepalese tour guides – aged 38, 35, 45, and 29 – are missing as well.
The Nepal Tourism Board said its staff and tourist police are “working to verify the whereabouts and safety status of tourists and travellers who were in or travelling through the affected areas”.
The president of the Nepal Centre for Disaster Management has said the flash floods which struck the Nepal-Tibet border were like a “tsunami from the sky” and villages have been “completely wiped out”.
Bishal Nath Upreti said: “It’s a huge debris, and in fact, after the 2015 earthquake, this is one of the largest disasters that we have in Nepal.
“That was an earthquake, and this is a kind of flood. We call it flood, but actually it’s a kind of a debris flow dam collapse.”
He added: “It was such a huge amount of water. You can imagine it is 20 million cubic meters excess water on the river, and it was like a tsunami from the sky.
“It’s such a huge debris, and everything on the way was completely washed out. Villages and villages along the almost 40 to 50 kilometres were completely wiped out.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Thursday that the Government will do “everything we can” to support British nationals in Nepal following the floods.
In a statement, Mr Burnham said: “These scenes emerging from along the Nepal-China border are devastating.
“My thoughts are with all those affected, including the families and loved ones of British nationals missing in this tragedy.
“We will do everything we can to support British nationals impacted in the region and are in touch with the relevant authorities to offer support.
“I urge British nationals in the region to follow guidance from the local authorities and follow our travel advice.”
In a joint statement with Australia, the EU, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland, the UK embassy in Nepal said: “We are deeply saddened by the devastating flooding in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and surrounding areas.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster.
“We express our solidarity with the people of Nepal during this difficult time.
“We encourage all those in affected areas to follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories as the situation continues to evolve.”
Flash floods caused rivers to swell their banks and spread thick mud across populated areas, burying houses and creating difficult conditions for rescuers.
Videos posted on social media showed huge flood waters surging through valleys as people screamed in terror, with bridges being washed away.
Other videos showed people desperately fleeing uphill to escape the surging muddy flood waters.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said a magnitude 5.2 seismic event occurred near the border between Nepal and China on Wednesday at 8.37am local time.
It added that a “glacial collapse and debris flow” caused “subsequent catastrophic impacts downstream”.