Nepal flood death toll rises to 1,357 as rescuers scour tunnels

Nearly two weeks after the August 26 disaster, Nepal's death toll from devastating floods has climbed to 1,357, with 5,326 people still unaccounted for, according to the country's disaster authority. Rescue operations continue on the 14th day following the glacial and mountain collapse near the China-Nepal border, which destroyed roads, bridges, and homes. Chinese authorities have confirmed 43 deaths and 519 missing, raising the global toll to 1,400 fatalities and 5,845 missing persons.

Nepali rescuers are concentrating their efforts on three hydropower projects, where they suspect trapped workers may still be alive. Among the missing are hundreds of hydropower workers. However, the rescue of two Nepalis on Friday and a Chinese man on Saturday from deep within tunnels has given hope that more survivors could be alive.

Dharam Raj Uprety, chief of Nepal's disaster authority, stated, "Our search and rescue operation is ongoing. We are hopeful that there may still be survivors in at least three projects, and we are intensifying our efforts there."

Foreign experts, including those from China, India, and South Korea, are assisting Nepali teams in the rescue mission. Reports have emerged of stranded individuals higher up on the hillside. Mortuaries are overwhelmed, and authorities have buried hundreds of bodies in mass graves after collecting DNA samples for future identification.

While the precise cause of the glacial collapse remains uncertain, climate change is exacerbating glacial melt globally, raising the risk of such disasters. Nepal, a rural nation of 30 million people that has contributed minimal to the greenhouse gases causing global warming, has estimated reconstruction costs in the billions of dollars.

David Fisher of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies highlighted the challenge of reaching isolated communities due to the "narrow and dangerous" access routes. He emphasized that every delay prolongs the time families must wait for the urgent support they desperately need.