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The death toll from devastating flash floods and landslides along the Nepal-China border has risen to 1,003, while 4,462 people remain missing, according to official figures released by the two countries on Tuesday.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 84 more bodies had been recovered, taking the death toll in Nepal to 987. Another 3,916 people remain missing, including 583 foreign nationals and 639 workers employed at hydropower plants.
China has reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing in the affected areas. Of those missing, 261 are foreign nationals.
The disaster began on August 26 after a glacier ruptured at an altitude of around 5,200 metres on Mount Langtang Lirung in Nepal. The collapse sent huge volumes of ice, rocks, mud and water through valleys along the border, causing widespread destruction.
Several districts in Nepal, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Kavre and parts of the Kathmandu Valley, have been badly affected. On the Chinese side, the Gyirong border area in the Tibet Autonomous Region has also suffered extensive damage.
Indian nationals account for the largest number of missing foreigners, with 275 reported missing, followed by 100 Chinese nationals.
As recovery efforts continue, Nepal has requested body-storage freezers, DNA testing kits, remote-sensing technology and drones to help locate victims and assess devastated areas.
China, South Korea and India have sent rescue teams, but damaged roads, destroyed infrastructure and the difficult mountainous terrain have severely hampered rescue and communication efforts.
Source: Anadolu Agency