Nepal's devastating flash floods have claimed 1,344 lives, with rescue teams continuing searches across affected areas as around 5,000 people remain missing.
The death toll rose after more bodies were recovered from flood-hit regions, according to Nepal Police. Rescue and relief operations are continuing in several badly affected districts as authorities work to locate survivors and recover those still missing.
The scale of the disaster has left thousands of families searching for relatives, while several survivors have returned to assist rescue teams and relief workers despite suffering personal losses.
In flood-hit Rasuwa district, an Indian tunnel rescue team working alongside the Nepalese Army created a temporary track inside a tunnel at the Chilime hydropower site. The work allowed heavy equipment to reach affected areas and support the ongoing rescue operation.
A Chinese national was rescued alive on Saturday from a hydropower project tunnel in Rasuwa, 10 days after the area was struck by the devastating floods.
In another remarkable rescue, a 60-year-old woman was found alive after spending 10 days trapped on the top floor of a four-storey building in Bidur town in Nuwakot district. The house had been buried under mud and debris following the floods.
For many families, the search for missing relatives has become increasingly difficult as floodwaters and debris have destroyed homes and swept away entire communities.
DNA testing is now expected to play an important role in identifying victims whose bodies have been recovered from flood-affected areas.
The disaster has also intensified discussions around climate change and climate accountability. Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah is expected to raise the issue of climate change and seek international compensation for the devastating floods during his planned visit to the United States later this month.
The floods have once again highlighted the vulnerability of Himalayan communities to extreme weather events, with rescue operations continuing even as authorities assess the full scale of the destruction.
India and Nepal have also coordinated relief efforts in some affected areas, including the joint rescue operation involving the Indian tunnel rescue team and the Nepalese Army at the Chilime hydropower project.
With thousands of people still unaccounted for, authorities are expected to continue search and recovery operations as families wait for information about their missing relatives.
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