Himalayan landslide leaves at least 919 dead and nearly 4,800 missing in Nepal and Tibet

The scale of the disaster caused by the collapse of a glacier in the Himalayas continues to grow. At least 919 people have died and another 4,793 remain missing in Nepal and the Chinese region of Tibet, according to the latest figures released by the authorities and reported by AFP.

Nepal accounts for the majority of the victims. The national emergency management agency confirmed on Monday 903 deaths and 4,247 people missing in the area near the border with China. In Tibet, Chinese state media reported 16 dead and 546 people whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The disaster occurred on Wednesday, when a glacier collapse unleashed a massive wall of water, ice, rocks, and debris that swept through the valley and devastated entire communities. The U.S. Geological Survey attributed the phenomenon to the glacier's collapse.

Among the missing are numerous tourists and pilgrims who were heading to Mount Kailash, considered sacred by several religions. The whereabouts of 933 hydroelectric plant workers in Nepal are also unknown.

Race against time to rescue workers in a tunnel

Troops and engineers from the Nepalese Army are working through the rubble to try to reach workers believed to be trapped in a tunnel at a hydroelectric facility. Teams managed to insert a pipe into the tunnel, although the condition of those still inside remains unknown.

One of the survivors, Surendra Dowluri, a 33-year-old Indian worker, told AFP that they heard a loud crash before water and mud flooded the site.

"We saw that the floor of the turbine was submerged in mud, and six workers were trapped there," he explained. Five were rescued, but one died.

Rescue operations continue amid constant danger. The rising waters have formed new lakes that could overflow and cause further flooding. In Tibet, several rescuers were moved to a safe area after one of these natural reservoirs formed.

Access difficulties are also slowing down the search. At the Tibetan port of Gyirong, one of the hardest-hit areas, Chinese teams managed to advance only 285 meters on Sunday. Beijing has mobilized 2,141 personnel, although the available information comes exclusively from Chinese authorities due to access restrictions for the foreign press.

Burials before identifications are complete

On Monday, Nepal began burying some of the hundreds of recovered bodies. Morgues are overwhelmed, and the country lacks sufficient refrigeration facilities to preserve the bodies while identification is completed.

Authorities are collecting DNA samples before the burials, in the hope that families will later be able to identify and claim the remains to perform their funeral rites. Meanwhile, hundreds of people are visiting hospitals and rescue centers or looking at photographs of the deceased on screens set up in makeshift morgues.