MFA reached out to nearly 100 Singaporeans, PRs in Nepal and Tibet after disaster: Vivian Balakrishnan

Kathmandu, Nepal - Two weeks after a glacial mountain collapse triggered a deadly flood on August 26, rescuers in Nepal are struggling to find survivors trapped in hydropower tunnels. Over 1,410 people have died and 5,651 remain missing, according to the Nepal Disaster Authority. In China, 43 people have died and 519 are listed as missing.

The rescue operations in the Trishuli 3A, 3B and Chilime hydropower projects continue, with the Nepal Army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet confirming that 1,367 bodies have been recovered and 5,132 people are still unaccounted for.

Foreign nationals and hundreds of hydropower workers are among the missing, including three people who were rescued from the tunnels - two Nepalis on Friday and a Chinese man on Saturday. However, no further survivors have been officially confirmed since then. The disaster has displaced thousands of people, who are living in camps across the affected areas. Save the Children reported that up to 540 children have been separated from their parents.

Nepal's Police spokesman, Abi Narayan Kafle, stated that authorities are taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of children and women in the relief camps. They have also initiated psychosocial counseling to support those affected by the tragedy. The exact cause of the glacial collapse remains unclear, but experts warn that climate change is accelerating glacial melt worldwide, increasing the risk of such disasters.

Nepal, a largely rural nation of 30 million people that has contributed little to greenhouse gas emissions, estimates that reconstruction could cost billions of dollars. Kafle mentioned that security personnel have enlisted community members to search for bodies buried under debris, and they are also using drones for the search.