Nepal toll surges as rescuers struggle through 'unimaginable' disaster

As Nepal grapples with an unimaginable disaster, the death toll continues to surge, with nearly 5,000 people still missing since a tsunami-like glacial flood swept down from the China-Nepal border. The latest confirmed death toll has surpassed 900, while the number of unaccounted for individuals is also climbing, with unidentified bodies buried in mass graves after DNA sampling.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the disaster as "unimaginable and heartbreaking," while rescue teams race against time to free around 100 hydropower workers believed trapped in multiple tunnels. So far, three bodies have been pulled from two tunnels, with teams finding routes blocked by mud. Amid the horror, there has been a glimmer of hope; a six-year-old girl was reunited with her parents after being found crying for her mother, trapped in mud with only her head visible.

The disaster was sparked by a glacial collapse, which climate change is making more likely as glaciers worldwide melt. Residents in affected areas have been left homeless, with roads washed away, power plants destroyed, and dozens of bridges smashed. The Nepali army has appealed for international support, estimating that they need over a thousand freezer units to store the bodies. Entire communities have been swept away, leaving families without shelter or hope.