Nepal flash floods: The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal surged to 1,356 on Monday as more bodies were recovered from the affected areas, authorities said. Rescue teams continued to search for 4,994 people, including at least 589 foreign nationals, who remain missing, while 13,396 people have been rescued so far, according to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal. The Bhotekoshi River, which flows south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.
The disaster also killed at least 43 people on the Chinese side, while more than 500 people remain missing in Tibet, according to Chinese media reports.
In Nepal, 363 bodies have been recovered in Chitwan district, 223 in Nawalparasi East, 221 in Nawalparasi West, 197 in Nuwakot, 169 in Rasuwa, 75 in Gorkha, 70 in Dhading and 38 in Tanahu, according to NDRRMA.
Identification of bodies has emerged as a massive challenge. Only 98 bodies were identified as of Monday, and handed over to the families, according to NDRRMA.
Most bodies recovered after being swept downstream severely damaged, decomposed or recovered only in parts. Police have said that bodies carried far from the disaster sites and those that remained in water and mud have made identification particularly difficult.
Nepal Police has been collecting DNA samples from relatives of missing people to help identify unclaimed bodies and human remains recovered after the floods. More than 1,000 unidentified bodies have been buried after DNA samples were collected to facilitate their identification in the future, officials said.
Hospitals struggled to cope with the growing number of unidentified bodies. Large crowds continued to gather at medical facilities, carrying photographs of missing relatives and scrutinising images of the dead displayed on the walls.
from World – Latest News, Breaking News, LIVE News, Top News Headlines, Viral Video, Cricket LIVE, Sports, Entertainment, Business, Health, Lifestyle and Utility News | India.Com https://ift.tt/3tqSTzO
