The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal rose to 1,366 on Tuesday as more bodies were recovered from the affected areas. Authorities said that various teams continue search and rescue operations, while around 4,077 individuals remain unaccounted for across the disaster zone. Rescuers in Nepal are focusing on three hydropower project tunnels where they believe dozens of workers could be trapped.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah vowed there would be no let-up in the rescue operations. The government has declared 15 municipalities in the affected districts as disaster crisis-affected areas for three months. Talking about relief, India has delivered 95 tonnes of emergency relief material on board seven aircraft, expressing deep solidarity and sympathy with the people and government of the neighbouring country.
Beyond material aid, specialised Indian teams are also providing critical operational support on the ground.An Indian forensic team is currently stationed in Kathmandu to process DNA samples aimed at identifying victims. Simultaneously, an Indian tunnel rescue team remains deployed in the affected zones.
Meanwhile, days after devastating floods and landslides battered parts of Nepal, a 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck the country’s northwestern Mustang district on Tuesday night, with tremors felt in neighbouring districts. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Tremors were also felt in Manang, Dolpa and Myagdi districts. Mustang district in northwest Nepal is approximately 250 kilometres away from the major flash-flood-hit areas affected by the August 26 ice-rock avalanche.
