The number of confirmed victims of the catastrophic flooding in the Himalayas has exceeded 900 people. Around 4,800 more people are considered missing. Rescuers continue searches in hard-to-reach areas of Nepal and Tibet, where roads and bridges have been destroyed, and bad weather and rains threaten new landslides.
As reported on August 31 by the emergency situations department in Kathmandu, the bodies of 903 deceased have been found in Nepal. In neighboring China, the deaths of at least 16 more people have been confirmed.
In Nepal, 4247 people are missing, including 592 foreigners, among them Belarusian Katsiaryna Sakovich. Another 546 missing people have been reported in China.
Thousands of rescuers are participating in the search operation.
Rescue efforts are severely hampered by bad weather and rising water levels. New rains are expected in the region, which increases the risk of new floods and landslides.
Unidentified victims buried in mass graves
In Nepal, unidentified bodies have already begun to be buried in mass graves. Before this, DNA samples are taken from the deceased, and bodies are marked so that relatives can later identify and claim them.
For predominantly Hindu Nepal, this procedure is particularly unusual: according to tradition, the deceased are cremated there. The current burials are considered a temporary measure — until relatives can find their loved ones. Nevertheless, this decision has already drawn criticism on social media.
Many bodies are found in the south of the country, tens of kilometers from the main flooding area. Authorities in the Chitwan district, which borders India, report that some bodies are already in an advanced state of decomposition, which complicates their quick identification. Experts also warn of the danger of epidemics.
The disaster began on the morning of August 26 in the high-mountain Rasuwa district on the border of Nepal with Tibet.
According to preliminary findings, a large landslide may have been the cause. The Bhote Koshi River, which originates in Tibet, overflowed its banks after a huge mass of mud and stones collapsed into its channel.
What exactly caused the collapse is not yet precisely known.
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