By The South Asia Times

KATHMANDU -  A catastrophic flash flood triggered by a glacial collapse along the Nepal-China border has killed more than 1,300 people across Nepal and China's Tibet region and left thousands missing, as rescuers continue a desperate search through collapsed hydropower tunnels, mud-filled valleys and devastated communities.

The disaster struck on Aug. 26 when a sudden surge of water, ice, rock and mud swept through the Himalayan border region, particularly along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems. The torrent destroyed homes, roads, bridges, power facilities and other infrastructure in Nepal's Rasuwa, Nuwakot and neighboring districts, while also causing extensive destruction around Gyirong County and the Gyirong border port on the Chinese side.

Nepal's Foreign Ministry said Friday that 1,287 bodies had been recovered, while about 5,083 people remained missing, including approximately 600 foreigners from 35 countries. More than 13,093 people had been rescued, including more than 300 foreign nationals. The figures remain subject to change as search teams identify bodies and verify reports of missing people.

On the Chinese side, authorities reported 31 deaths and 531 people missing as of Sept. 5, according to international reports citing Chinese government figures. Of those missing, 261 were foreign nationals. Access to the affected Tibetan region has been considerably more restricted than on the Nepalese side, making it difficult to independently assess the full scale of the disaster.

The discovery of survivors more than a week after the disaster has given rescuers new hope that some of the thousands still missing may be alive.

On Friday, Nepalese military rescuers pulled two workers, Sanjay Shah and Kabir Maharajan, alive from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project after they had spent nine days trapped inside a flooded tunnel. The men were found deep underground after rescuers cleared enormous quantities of mud, rock and debris blocking access to the facility.

The operation involved excavating through debris and dealing with huge rocks that blocked the tunnels. Rescuers also faced the danger of additional flooding while working below the floodplain.

Australian tunnelling expert Arnold Dix, who was advising the rescue operation, said the survival of the two men demonstrated that people could remain alive underground for much longer than initially feared. He said the successful rescue had provided renewed motivation to search other hydropower facilities.

The breakthrough was followed by another dramatic rescue on Saturday. A Chinese national identified as Luhaitao was pulled alive from a 225-metre tunnel at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, 10 days after the flood struck. He was flown by helicopter to an army hospital in Kathmandu for medical treatment.

Nepalese authorities and rescue teams believe that at least 900 people may have been trapped in tunnels associated with six hydropower projects affected by the disaster. Around 500 workers are believed to remain trapped underground, according to rescue assessments reported by international media.

The Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have been mobilized for the operation, working alongside disaster-management agencies and local authorities.

Specialist tunnel rescue teams from India, China and South Korea are working with the Nepal Army. Drones, heavy excavation equipment, load carriers, pumps and other specialized equipment supplied by neighboring and other countries are being used to locate survivors and clear collapsed infrastructure.

Nepal has also sought high-capacity drones, LiDAR systems, Bailey bridges, ground-penetrating radar, high-capacity pumps, DNA testing equipment and other specialized technology as rescue and recovery operations continue.

The number of foreigners affected has added an international dimension to the disaster. Nepal's latest figures indicate roughly 600 foreign nationals remain missing, while India has separately reported hundreds of its citizens missing following the floods and has sent rescue specialists, medical personnel and relief supplies to Nepal.

- China's side of the disaster

The flooding also devastated areas on the Chinese side of the border, particularly around Gyirong County in Tibet, a key crossing point between China and Nepal.

Chinese authorities have reported 31 deaths and 531 missing people, including hundreds of foreign nationals. Rescue and recovery teams have been clearing roads, searching mudslide zones and restoring infrastructure around the border area.

The Chinese side, however, has received substantially less independent media coverage than Nepal. The Associated Press reported that access to the affected Tibetan area has been restricted largely to Chinese state media, while information about individual victims and missing people has been limited.

- Disaster leaves infrastructure in ruins

Beyond the human toll, the floods have inflicted enormous damage on Nepal's already difficult Himalayan infrastructure.

Entire sections of roads and bridges were swept away, cutting off communities and complicating the movement of rescue equipment. Hydropower facilities were inundated or buried, while electricity and telecommunications services were disrupted.

Nepalese authorities are simultaneously conducting rescue operations and trying to restore road, electricity and communications links so that food, medicine and other relief supplies can reach isolated communities.

The government has warned that the full scale of economic damage has not yet been established. A comprehensive assessment will be conducted after emergency search and recovery operations make further progress.