Nepali families held symbolic funeral ceremonies on Wednesday for relatives who remain missing one week after devastating flash floods swept through villages and homes in the Himalayan region.
The disaster, triggered by a glacial collapse along the China-Nepal border on August 26, sent a massive wave of freezing water, rocks and debris through the region.
Authorities said more than 1,100 bodies have been recovered, while thousands of people remain missing. In Nepal’s worst-hit Rasuwa district, officials described the disaster as unprecedented.
In Kathmandu, hundreds of families queued to provide DNA samples in the hope of identifying relatives among the recovered bodies. With morgues overwhelmed, authorities have begun burying unidentified victims.
Some families who have lost hope of finding their loved ones alive have also held symbolic Hindu funeral rituals, including burning straw effigies.
“We had to do this to set his soul free, so that he is at peace and happy wherever he is,” said Dolma Newar Tamang, who held a funeral for her missing husband.
Rescue Operations Continue
Rescue teams are still searching for survivors, particularly inside tunnels belonging to hydropower projects that were buried under thick layers of mud and debris.
So far, rescuers have recovered only bodies from the tunnels, but teams continue to dig, drill and use controlled blasts to clear the wreckage.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said authorities were still refusing to completely abandon hope that some missing people could be found alive.
“Miracles do happen,” he said, adding that he did not want to give up hope completely.
Nepal Calls for Global Support
The scale of the disaster has raised concerns about Nepal’s ability to respond with its limited resources. Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the floods as a serious warning of the growing risks faced by the Himalayan nation.
Scientists have warned that rising global temperatures are accelerating glacier melt across the Himalayas and the wider Hindu Kush region.
Shah said climate change was a global problem and that responding to disasters should also be a shared international responsibility.
A preliminary United Nations assessment estimated that damage to buildings alone could reach $158 million, while the total cost—including damage to roads, bridges, farmland and humanitarian needs—is expected to be significantly higher.
The Nepalese government has warned that rebuilding the affected areas could cost billions of dollars.
More Than 1,100 Dead Reported
By Wednesday, Nepal reported 1,114 bodies recovered, with 3,916 people still missing. Chinese state media reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people.
Across Nepal and China, the combined figures stood at approximately 1,130 reported dead and 4,462 missing.
More than 800 foreigners from over 30 countries were also reported missing, including tourists trekking in the Himalayas and Hindu pilgrims travelling to Tibet’s sacred Mount Kailash.
At least 17 additional bodies have been recovered from rivers downstream in India.
The disaster has devastated communities along the Himalayan region and triggered a major rescue and recovery operation involving authorities and emergency teams from the affected countries.
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