KATHMANDU — The death toll from devastating floods and landslides across Nepal has surpassed 1,000 people, while more than 3,900 others remain missing, according to disaster-response authorities.
The disaster has caused widespread destruction across several parts of the country, damaging roads, bridges, hydropower facilities and other critical infrastructure. Rescue teams are continuing their search for survivors, but difficult terrain, massive amounts of mud and debris, and blocked roads are severely complicating the operation.
A significant proportion of those reported missing are believed to be workers employed at hydropower projects along the Trishuli River, particularly in areas close to Nepal’s border with Tibet.
Authorities said that more than 600 workers were inside underground tunnel systems at hydropower construction sites when the floods struck. Rescue teams have been attempting to reach the tunnels and pump or remove water from some of the underground structures in the hope of finding survivors.
Nepal’s Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, said that at least 279 people had been rescued from areas affected by the floods. Nepalese security forces, with assistance from Chinese teams, have been leading major search-and-rescue operations.
Experts and rescue personnel from India, South Korea and Australia are also participating in the assessment of the damage and efforts to locate missing people.
One rescue team managed to enter a tunnel connected to a hydropower facility but was later forced to withdraw after failing to find any survivors. Officials said, however, that the search would continue in other tunnel systems.
Families Demand Faster Rescue Operations
Families of missing workers and residents have urged the government to accelerate rescue operations, warning that every passing hour reduces the chances of finding people alive.
Tunnel specialist Arnold Dix, an Australian expert advising Nepalese authorities, said the extraordinary force of the floods had dramatically altered the landscape around the hydropower sites.
According to Dix, rescuers must first determine the locations of damaged power facilities and identify safe access points before removing the enormous quantities of rocks, mud and debris blocking the tunnels.
He said there is still hope that some missing workers could have survived because underground tunnels may have provided a degree of protection from the worst effects of the floods.
Major Damage to Nepal’s Hydropower Sector
The disaster has also caused significant damage to Nepal’s hydropower industry. Nepal relies heavily on electricity generated from its rivers, and numerous hydropower projects are either operating or under construction throughout the country.
Officials said at least 11 completed or ongoing hydropower projects have suffered damage as a result of the floods.
The destruction of these facilities could create additional economic difficulties for Nepal, particularly if major generating stations, transmission infrastructure and access roads remain out of service.
Difficulties Identifying the Dead
Authorities are also facing a major challenge in identifying the bodies recovered from the disaster.
Nepal’s Ministry of Health said that only approximately 4 percent of the nearly 900 bodies recovered so far had been formally identified.
In Chitwan District, authorities reported that nearly 300 bodies had been carried downstream by rivers from areas affected by the flooding.
With morgues and other facilities reaching capacity, local authorities said some bodies may have to be temporarily buried while medical teams collect DNA samples and other forensic evidence to establish identities.
Families have been assured that remains will be returned to relatives once DNA testing confirms their identities.
A Disaster of Exceptional Scale
Nepalese officials have described the floods as an extraordinary disaster, with the destruction extending far beyond individual communities.
Entire sections of roads have been washed away, bridges have been damaged or destroyed, and hydropower infrastructure has been severely affected. The disruption has also made it difficult for rescue teams and emergency supplies to reach isolated communities.
Prime Minister Shah has warned that the growing risks facing the Himalayan region require greater international attention. He has linked the increasing vulnerability of mountain communities to climate change and called for stronger international cooperation to help vulnerable mountainous countries prepare for extreme weather events.
Rescue Operations Continue
Despite the enormous challenges, rescue operations remain underway.
Search teams are working through mud, collapsed structures, large rocks and debris, while attempting to reach isolated communities and underground facilities. Specialized teams are also assessing damaged tunnels and hydropower sites to determine whether additional survivors can be reached safely.
Meanwhile, thousands of families across Nepal continue to wait for information about missing relatives.
Authorities have urged residents to remain cautious as unstable ground, damaged infrastructure and continuing flooding could create additional hazards.
The scale of the disaster has raised renewed concerns about the vulnerability of Nepal’s mountainous communities and critical infrastructure to increasingly severe weather events, as the country faces the difficult task of rescuing survivors, identifying victims and beginning the long process of reconstruction.
