The scope of catastrophic flash flooding along the border between Nepal and China continued to grow on Sunday, as rescue workers continued their race against the clock and authorities in Nepal urged residents in affected districts to remain on alert after water levels rose in the Bhotekoshi River.
The death toll rose to at least 734 on Sunday, with more than 3,000 people still missing after an avalanche triggered by a glacial collapse on Wednesday at the headwaters of river systems running through villages, tourist areas, and a major Hindu pilgrimage route.
Pope Leo XIV was an early voice in a chorus of international religious and political leaders who have called for prayerful and concrete solidarity with the victims and all those suffering in the wake of the disaster.
RELATED: More than 600 dead, 3,000 missing after disaster in Himalayas, as Church responds
The leader of the Catholic bishops in neighboring India joined the pontiff in calling for solidarity, and he called on the international community not only to join relief efforts but “to reflect seriously upon the growing vulnerability of Himalayan communities.”
The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Cardinal Anthony Poola of Hyderabad, made his appeals in a message shared with Crux Now at the weekend.
“I am deeply encouraged by the immediate response of rescuers, government agencies, humanitarian organizations, local communities and volunteers who are risking themselves to save lives and reach isolated areas,” Poola said.
“I also express the solidarity of the Catholic Church in India with the Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal, Caritas Nepal and all Church personnel engaged in humanitarian assistance.”
As Crux Now has reported, Caritas Nepal has mobilized its personnel and volunteers to provide food, clothing, shelter, medicine and assistance to displaced families, despite extraordinary difficulties in reaching affected areas.
RELATED: Nepal’s senior Church leader describes harrowing situation in wake of disaster
Poola also stressed the need to see the disaster within the context of increasing climate-driven global instability.
“Extreme weather events, changing rainfall patterns, and the instability of glaciers remind us that care for creation is inseparable from care for human life,” Poola said.
The CBCI president also noted the depth of human community uniting the peoples of India and Nepal, which transcend mere geographical proximity and call for real human fellowship.
“Nepal and India are not merely geographical neighbors,” Poola said. “Our peoples have been bound together for centuries through history, culture, faith, pilgrimage, family relationships and everyday human encounters.”
“When Nepal suffers,” he said, “India cannot remain indifferent. The mountains and rivers that unite our lands also remind us that the joys and vulnerabilities of our peoples are interconnected.”
______
