Nepal floods: Survivors and rescuers show courage amid devastation

A week after a glacial collapse triggered a devastating flood in Nepal, survivors, volunteers, and emergency workers have shown remarkable courage in the face of widespread destruction. The disaster, which occurred on August 26, swept away villages and homes in the Himalayan region, resulting in over 1,000 confirmed deaths and nearly 4,500 people missing.

Rescuers continue to search for survivors, particularly in tunnels of hydropower plants across the region, with Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal expressing hope that some of the missing may still be alive. According to RTE News, relatives of the missing have begun conducting symbolic funeral ceremonies to liberate the souls of their loved ones, with one woman, Dolma Newar Tamang, saying she had to do this to set her husband's soul free.

The Nepalese government has faced criticism for its plan to carry out mass "temporary" burials of the deceased, with the largely Hindu community objecting to the measure as it goes against their religious traditions. The government has also sought climate compensation for the deadly floods, with Foreign Minister Khanal stating that Nepal, despite contributing negligible greenhouse gas emissions, is bearing the disproportionate consequences of global warming.

According to the Hindustan Times, Khanal named India, China, and the United States as the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters, and said they have a "historical responsibility to compensate vulnerable nations like Nepal". Mass burials have begun, with Nepalese police burying flood victims in Gokarna forest in Kathmandu.

Brief written by urgent.news from IOL, Euronews, RTE News, Hindustan Times - World News, Free Malaysia Today — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.