Nepal flood death toll rises to 1,357, thousands missing

Nearly two weeks after a devastating flood struck Nepal on August 26, the country's death toll has risen to 1,357, with 5,326 people still missing, according to the disaster authority. The tragedy extended into China, where 43 individuals were confirmed dead and 519 remain missing, raising the global total to 1,400 fatalities and 5,845 people still unaccounted for.

Rescue efforts have been ongoing for 14 days, with a particular focus on three hydropower projects near the China-Nepal border, where trapped workers may still be alive. The Nepali government, supported by foreign experts from China, India, and South Korea, is actively searching for survivors and hopes that at least three projects still hold potential for rescues.

Hundreds of hydropower workers are among the missing, and the rescue operations are being hampered by the dangerous terrain and narrow access routes. Mortuaries in Nepal have reached capacity, forcing authorities to bury hundreds of bodies in mass graves while collecting DNA samples for identification. While the exact cause of the glacial collapse remains unclear, climate change is exacerbating glacial melt worldwide, increasing the risk of such disasters in vulnerable areas like Nepal.