SRINAGAR: Nepal’s death toll from the devastating flash floods has reached 1,344, while around 5,000 people remain missing, as authorities continue rescue and recovery operations in the worst-hit areas.
More than 13,100 people have been rescued, including a 60-year-old woman who survived for nearly 10 days after becoming trapped beneath mud and debris in Nuwakot district, reports said.
The woman, identified as Chandika Kumari Shrestha, was rescued from a four-storey house buried under debris in Betrawati after rescuers heard her cries. She was later airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment, according to Reuters.
Authorities are facing difficulties in identifying those killed in the disaster and have resorted to DNA testing and other procedures to establish victims’ identities. Police have preserved hundreds of remains after collecting identification details, while particulars of 1,270 unidentified bodies have been published online to help families trace missing relatives.
Around 7,912 police personnel have been deployed in the affected areas for search and rescue, relief distribution, handling recovered bodies and clearing roads, according to reports.
The disaster struck on August 26, when an ice-and-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border triggered a huge flow of water, mud and debris. The floods caused widespread damage to houses, vehicles, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure, Reuters reported.
Rescue operations are continuing at several hydropower projects where people remain missing or are feared trapped. India and China are supporting the ongoing rescue efforts, while Nepalese authorities are monitoring major rivers for possible further risks.
Nepal observed a national day of mourning on Monday, with flags flown at half-mast as the country mourned the victims while search and recovery operations continued, according to Reuters.
