Nepal says death toll rises to 1,252 as rescue operations continue

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Catastrophic floods along the China-Nepal border have taken the death toll in Nepal to at least 1,252, with the overall death count surpassing 1,270, according to the disaster authority. Chinese state media reported 21 fatalities in Tibet, raising the total toll from the disaster that struck on August 26 to 1,273.

In Nepal, 4,216 people remain unaccounted for as rescue efforts persist at a frenzied pace. In China, state media cite 541 missing, pushing the total to 4,757. A significant number of foreigners, numbering nearly 600 from over 30 nationalities, are also unaccounted for, with Indians representing the largest proportion. Among them, 75 Americans remain missing, as confirmed by the State Department on Wednesday.

In Kathmandu, families of some of the missing foreigners expressed their desperation, searching hospitals and morgues for any information about their loved ones. "It's been so many days, I feel desperate," said 53-year-old American Sanjeev Rai, who traveled to Nepal after learning that his wife was untraceable. The floods, which ravaged mountain districts, have caused extensive destruction.