Kathmandu, September 2:The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 1,204, according to the latest official update issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Wednesday.
At the fifth daily press briefing in Kathmandu, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri said temporary burials of flood victims had begun as search and rescue operations continued around the clock.
Chhetri said 11,993 people had been rescued so far, while 1,114 bodies had been recovered. Around 3,900 people were still unaccounted for.
He appealed to relatives of those missing to provide DNA samples at the Nepal Police Hospital in Maharajgunj or at their nearest District Police Office to help forensic teams identify the victims.
International assistance has also been mobilised for the massive recovery operation. A 19-member Indian Forensic Team is working with the Nepal Police on DNA analysis, while specialised teams and equipment have also arrived from China, Singapore and South Korea.
Rescue personnel from the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force are working alongside international experts from India, China and South Korea to remove mud and boulders from underground hydropower facilities in areas including Langtang, Chilime and Upper Trisuli.
More than 300 foreign nationals have been rescued, while around 590 foreign citizens from 34 countries are still reported missing.
In coordination with Chinese authorities, Nepal has also facilitated the evacuation of around 2,500 pilgrims returning from Mount Kailash through the Hilsa and Tatopani border crossings and via air routes from Lhasa. Efforts are meanwhile underway to clear stranded cargo and assist Nepali nationals stranded near the Kerung border.
Addressing Parliament earlier in the day, Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the catastrophic Bhotekoshi River flood on August 26, triggered by a high-Himalayan avalanche, underscored the growing climate-related risks facing the region.
With nearly 4,000 people missing across Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, Shah stressed that addressing the impact of climate change was a shared global responsibility.
The Nepalese government is coordinating relief and recovery efforts with international partners, including India, China, the United States, Japan, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations.
Authorities said all available resources were being deployed for immediate relief, search operations for missing persons and long-term rehabilitation and recovery.
