Tibet death toll from Himalayas flood now 43 with 519 missing: Chinese media

BEIJING: The death toll in Tibet from the devastating floods that struck the Himalayas along the China-Nepal border last month has risen from 31 to 43, Chinese state media reported Sunday (Sep 6).

The disaster "left 43 dead and 519 missing, according to the latest count", Xinhua reported, as the death toll on the Chinese side of the border rose.

The glacial and mountain collapse on Aug 26 has killed nearly 1,400 people and left more than 5,500 missing across the two countries.

The huge gap between the death toll and the number of people missing highlights the immense challenge facing rescuers as they push deeper into the devastated border area.

Gyirong Port lies deep in the Himalayas along China's border with Nepal.

Experts previously told CNA that the true toll could take time to establish, as the debris carried by the flood was likely to have buried many victims, while floodwaters could also have swept casualties kilometres downstream.