A week after a catastrophic flash flood along the Nepal-Tibet border, thousands remain missing as rescuers pivot from rescue to recovery - while still holding out hope for survivors. The death toll in Nepal has climbed to at least 1,114, with nearly 4,000 more unaccounted for, according to the country's disaster agency. On the Tibetan side, Chinese state media reports 16 dead and over 500 missing. The UN's humanitarian agency says the response is entering a new phase, with intensified relief and recovery operations.

In Nepal, efforts continue to reach workers - potentially in the hundreds - believed trapped in hydroelectric station tunnels. The massive flash flood, likely triggered by a glacial collapse, swept through a Himalayan valley last Wednesday, wiping out entire villages. Nearly 12,000 people have been rescued so far, but thousands more, including hundreds of foreign nationals from India, the UK, Australia, the US, Malaysia, and beyond, remain missing. Fears are mounting that the death toll will rise further.

Chinese state media has not reported any survivors on the Tibetan side, but search efforts persist. Beijing, which annexed Tibet in the 1950s, tightly controls the region; all information comes from state media, and foreign journalists require permission to enter. Rescuers using heavy machinery around the clock have reopened the route to the Gyirong border crossing, clearing debris to accelerate the search.

Rescue operations continue under challenging conditions. Experts from China and India are helping build temporary bridges to reach remote areas, while drones scan hard-to-reach spots for signs of life. The UN's humanitarian agency says the primary challenge now is access, with over 40 bridges destroyed. The most isolated communities rely on army helicopter flights for supplies, and villages still struggle with fuel and electricity shortages.

The full impact of the flood in Tibet remains unclear. China has released footage showing devastation near the border but has provided few details about victims or local villagers. In Nepal, nearly 3,500 people are homeless, displaced across 27 sites - mostly schools, disrupting education - in the districts of Nuwakot and Rasuwa. The UN's humanitarian agency notes that priorities include receiving aid, recovering and identifying loved ones, tracing missing relatives, reunifying separated children, and accessing psychosocial support. Overcrowded shelters, contaminated water, and damaged health facilities heighten disease risks during the monsoon season.

Nepal's Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, emphasized renewed efforts to protect survivors and provide medical treatment and psychological counselling. The government and the UN have agreed to launch a four-month humanitarian flash appeal. One Nepali worker told the BBC that river water smashed into a tunnel and chased him for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, footage of the Tibet floods is heavily censored in China, leaving the world with little knowledge about the victims there.