Funerals in Nepal for missing, a week after deadly floods

In Nepal, families have been holding symbolic funeral ceremonies for loved ones missing since flash floods ravaged their communities in the Himalayan region a week ago. The catastrophic event, triggered by a high-altitude glacial collapse on August 26, resulted in the recovery of over 1,000 bodies and left nearly 4,500 people missing.

As emergency teams exhausted all available shelters and mortuaries, relatives of some missing individuals began conducting last rites, believing it would liberate the souls of their loved ones. One bereaved mother, Dolma Newar Tamang, expressed her grief as she said her husband was en route to China when the disaster struck. Despite ongoing search efforts, hope seems diminishing, and authorities remain hopeful about finding survivors in the multiple tunnels of hydropower plants affected by the disaster.

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal expressed cautious optimism, stating that miracles do happen, but he still hopes to find survivors among the thousands missing. Prime Minister Balendra Shah emphasized that the catastrophe is a stark reminder of the increasing risks in the Himalayan region due to climate change. Scientists warn that the Himalayas, the world's highest mountain range, are warming rapidly, accelerating glacier melt and posing a threat to millions of people who rely on the glaciers as a crucial water source.

The scale of destruction has left Nepal, a largely rural nation of 30 million people, in shock, with reconstruction costs potentially reaching billions of dollars. Despite contributing little to greenhouse gas emissions, Nepal is among the countries suffering the consequences of climate change.