Nepal flood death toll rises as rescuers scour tunnels

Nepal is grappling with a mounting disaster after a glacial and mountain collapse near the China-Nepal border swept away roads, bridges and homes. State media in China reported 43 confirmed deaths and 519 missing, pushing the overall regional toll to 1,400 dead and 5,845 missing.

Verification and rising numbers

Authorities are working to reconcile reports from across the country. "We have been compiling reports and verifying them. That is what has caused the increase in the number," Prakash Pokhrel, assistant spokesman at the disaster authority, told reporters. "We are trying to get to a number that is close to reality."

We have been compiling reports and verifying them. That is what has caused the increase in the number.

Rescue focus on hydropower tunnels

Rescue teams entered their 14th day on the ground, concentrating on three hydropower projects where workers may still be trapped. Hundreds of labourers are among the missing, but the extraction of two Nepali workers on Friday and a Chinese man on Saturday from deep tunnels has revived hopes of further survivors.

Dharam Raj Uprety, chief of the country's disaster authority, said the operation remains ongoing and that "we are hoping that there might still be survivors in at least three projects, and we are pushing our operations there." Foreign experts from China, India and South Korea are assisting Nepali crews, while the Nepal's foreign ministry affirmed it has not given up hope of finding survivors.

Challenges and the road ahead

Local mortuaries are overflowing; authorities have buried hundreds in mass graves after collecting DNA samples for future identification, according to the police. While the precise trigger of the glacial collapse is still under investigation, scientists link accelerating melt to climate change, a risk that disproportionately affects nations like Nepal, which contributes little to global emissions.

David Fisher of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned that reaching isolated communities is hampered by narrow, dangerous routes, meaning delays lengthen the wait for urgent aid.

Reconstruction is expected to run into billions of dollars, and the disaster authority says search and recovery will continue for as long as there is a chance of finding survivors. The international community is watching closely, as the event may shape future investment in climate resilience across the Himalayas.