It’s Saturday morning in Nepal and the 72-hour “golden window” for finding survivors of a natural disaster is coming to a close. Anguished families are still seeking information on missing relatives after Wednesday’s catastrophic flooding near the China-Nepal border.
Where things stand:
Death toll: 616 people have been killed in Nepal, according to police on Saturday. Around 2,500 people, including Americans and other foreigners, remain missing. In an update at Friday afternoon local time, Chinese state media reported that five people were confirmed dead, with more than 500 still missing.
Scenes of devastation: Chinese state media reported there is no sign of survivors at the border crossing which was engulfed by the flood wave. And in Nepal, health officials said residents of a “whole village that seems to have been washed away” are in “dire need of support.”
Flood concerns: Authorities are monitoring a second newly formed lake. Both the lake and another newly formed body of water sit upstream of an area where Wednesday’s catastrophic flash floods happened. A scientist said it could be “extremely concerning” if the second lake bursts it banks. More rain is also expected at the flood zone in Nepal over the weekend.
On the ground: A CNN team on the ground saw helicopters taking off from Trishuli barracks, the nerve center of rescue operations, from early Saturday local time. Meanwhile in Kathmandu, family members spent the night outside a hospital and put up posters with photos of their missing relatives, hoping to get information on their loved ones.
