Nepal: thousands still missing as flood recovery begins

Nearly three weeks after deadly flash floods swept through Nepal's Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river corridor near the Chinese border , the Himalayan nation is shifting from search-and-rescue operations to relief and reconstruction efforts.

Authorities in Nepal say at least 1,386 bodies have been recovered across five affected districts, while more than 5,130 people are still missing. The latter figure includes 587 foreign nationals and around 900 workers employed in hydropower tunnels and other energy facilities.

The deluge, which authorities say was triggered by a glacier collapse , devastated communities and swept away more than a dozen hydropower facilities. As search operations continue in submerged tunnels and along muddy riverbanks, families are growing increasingly desperate for news of missing loved ones.

The scale of human loss is particularly stark in the upper river basins, where entire settlements vanished within minutes. In many places, destroyed roads and bridges have cut off access, forcing rescue and relief teams to rely on helicopters to deliver essential supplies.

Niranjan Paudyal, a resident of Sole village in Nepal's Nuwakot District who lost his parents, uncle, aunt and sister in the flash floods , said the flood took away even the chance of burying his family members.

"We spent days searching through debris, hoping for signs of my missing parents and family," he told DW. "Sadly, the disaster left us with no choice but to perform their final rites without their bodies."

Public land in Uttargaya Rural Municipality in Rasuwa District has either been washed away or rendered unsafe.

"There is not even land left after the flood to perform the final rites of those who lost their lives," Chameli Gurung, the municipality's deputy chair, told DW. "Relatives have to travel to Kathmandu's Pashupati Aryaghat to perform the final rites."