Nepal began burying some of the hundreds of bodies recovered from a devastating Himalayan flood on Monday, as rescue teams continued searching for thousands of people still missing.
The disaster, which struck on Wednesday, sent a massive surge of water and debris through villages and towns in Nepal and Tibet, killing at least 797 people on both sides of the border.
Families have gathered at hospitals, rescue centres and makeshift identification facilities in desperate attempts to find relatives who remain unaccounted for.
Authorities have been forced to begin burying some victims before their identities could be formally established because morgues have been overwhelmed and proper refrigeration facilities are limited.
Thousands Still Missing After Himalayan Disaster
At least 3,048 people remain missing, including tourists and pilgrims who had travelled to Tibet’s sacred Mount Kailash.
Nepal alone has reported 781 confirmed deaths and 2,502 missing people, according to the country’s disaster authorities.
The missing also include 933 workers at hydropower facilities in Nepal.
Search teams have been working through huge amounts of mud, rocks and debris in an effort to reach people believed to be trapped.
Nepali army troops and engineers were drilling through debris on Sunday towards workers thought to be trapped inside a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric project.
The rescue effort advanced after teams successfully inserted a pipe into the passage.
Survivors Describe Terrifying Flood
Workers who escaped the disaster have described the sudden arrival of the torrent and the devastation it caused.
Surendra Dowluri, a 33-year-old worker from India’s Andhra Pradesh state, said water and slush rapidly overwhelmed the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower site.
“We heard a very loud sound… and saw that the turbine floor was submerged with slush, and six workers were stuck in that,” Dowluri told AFP in Kathmandu after being rescued four days after the disaster.
“We managed to rescue five of them, but one person lost his life,” he said.
Overnight rain and swollen rivers complicated rescue operations on Sunday, with water entering an excavation area before conditions eventually improved, according to the Nepali army.
DNA Samples Taken From Unidentified Bodies
Authorities have begun collecting DNA samples from recovered bodies to help families identify their loved ones and allow traditional funeral rites to take place.
Relatives have gathered at identification centres, where photographs of recovered bodies are displayed on screens.
The scale of the disaster has left authorities struggling to manage the number of victims, with limited facilities available to preserve bodies.
In one identification centre, Shobha Adhikary said she believed she recognised her childhood friend among the images being displayed.
“It looks like him, for sure,” she said.
Her friend Rajkumar and his wife, Geeta, have both been missing since the disaster.
Glacial Collapse Blamed For Catastrophe
The United States Geological Survey said the disaster was triggered by a glacial collapse that sent an enormous volume of water and debris downstream.
The resulting torrent also created large lakes, raising concerns for rescue teams operating in the affected areas.
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In Tibet, Chinese authorities reported that 16 people had died and 546 remained missing.
Chinese rescuers working near a border port affected by a deadly mudslide were moved to safety after another landslide created a new lake, according to state media.
Access to the disaster zone in Tibet has also proved difficult. Chinese rescue teams had advanced only 285 metres towards Gyirong Port by Sunday, with another 1.25 kilometres still to cover, Xinhua reported.
International Aid Pledged As Nepal Faces Reconstruction Bill
The disaster has placed further pressure on Nepal’s already stretched economy.
The United States and Canada have each pledged $3.6 million in humanitarian assistance, while the United Kingdom has offered $6.8 million.
The United Nations has released $2.5 million in emergency funding, while further assistance has been pledged by the European Union and international Red Cross organisations.
Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal warned that rebuilding could cost billions of dollars and called for specialised equipment, including heavy-lift drones and technology capable of locating trapped survivors.
He also appealed for forensic testing kits and additional freezer units to help authorities identify and preserve recovered bodies.
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Nepal has also highlighted the impact of climate change on the Himalayan region, where glaciers are melting rapidly as global temperatures rise.
For communities already struggling with limited resources, the disaster has left a massive recovery operation ahead.
