Nepal seeks survivors two weeks after deadly floods

Two weeks after a deadly flood triggered by a glacial mountain collapse, Nepali rescuers remain hopeful of finding survivors trapped in hydropower tunnels. The catastrophic event, which began on the China-Nepal border and began on August 26, has resulted in over 1,401 deaths and 5,845 people still missing.

Rescue operations are currently underway in the tunnels of Trishuli 3A, 3B, and Chilime hydropower projects, according to Nepal Army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet. As of now, 1,358 bodies have been recovered in Nepal, with 5,326 people still unaccounted for. In China, 43 people have perished, and 519 remain missing.

While three individuals have been rescued from the tunnels, including two Nepalis on Friday and a Chinese man on Saturday, there has been no official confirmation of further survivors since then. The exact cause of the glacial collapse remains unclear, though climate change is accelerating glacial melt worldwide, heightening the risk of such disasters.

Nepal, a largely rural nation of 30 million people, has contributed minimal greenhouse gas emissions to global warming despite being a significant victim of the crisis. The cost of reconstruction is estimated to be in the billions of dollars.