Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The death toll from flash floods in Tibet near the Nepal border has risen to seven, while 554 people remain missing, as rescue and relief operations were intensified in the affected areas, the Tibet emergency management department said on Saturday.
The floods hit Gyirong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region on Wednesday, sweeping through villages and towns near the border with Nepal. Chinese officials said more than 1,000 people had been evacuated, and official media reported that no tourist remains stranded in the area.
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According to the Tibet emergency management department, 260 of those missing have been identified as foreign nationals, though their nationalities have not been released. Chinese officials said on Friday that 1,054 people, including 555 tourists and 499 local residents, were evacuated from Gyirong County.
A large number of Indian pilgrims are currently visiting Tibet for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra following improvement in ties between China and India. Some of the Indian pilgrims were reportedly at the immigration building on the Tibet-Nepal border when the flash flood hit the area hard. The Chinese government is in the process of sharing information on stranded and missing tourists with the respective embassies in Beijing, including the Indian Embassy.
Official media reports said 2,141 rescue workers and 86 specialists from natural resources and other related fields have been deployed to the disaster-hit area. “As far as I can see, it’s nothing but debris,” rescue official Zou Mingqi told state media. With specialised equipment, rescue teams have stepped up checks for geological hazards across nearby slopes, roads and other critical zones.
On Thursday, China issued a Level-IV alert, warning that a newly formed barrier lake at the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers faces a high risk of breaching and flooding downstream areas. A five-member monitoring post has been set up to keep the lake under constant watch and prevent possible secondary disasters. In addition, more than 1 kilometre of road has been cleared and reopened to traffic. On the Nepal side, the flash floods have killed 626 people.
The floods in Gyirong County have left seven dead and 554 missing, triggered a large-scale rescue effort, and raised concerns over further risks from the newly formed barrier lake, while authorities continue to account for foreign nationals, including Indian pilgrims, affected by the disaster.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
