Nepal-Tibet flood death toll rises to 1243

KATHMANDU, Sept 2:

The death toll from the devastating Nepal-Tibet flash floods surged to 1,243 today, as rescuers battled rain and debris to trace those believed to be trapped in the tunnels along the course of the Bhotekoshi river and underground powerhouses in the Himalayan nation.

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Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the disaster's link to climate change must be strongly raised with the international community, as symbolic funerals were held by families of locals still missing after last week's flash floods.

The death toll has surged to 1,222 as more bodies were recovered from eight districts affected by the flood, while 4,875 people remain missing a week after the floods devastated several towns and villages in the country, according to Nepal Police.

Security forces have recovered 348 dead bodies from Chitawan district, 218 from Nawalparasi East, 208 from Nawalparasi West, and 155 from Nuwakot. Similarly, 127 bodies were recovered from Rasuwa, 69 from Gorkha, 60 from Dhading and 38 from Tanahu, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

Among the missing people, 583 are foreigners. The joint forces of security personnel, including the Nepal Army, have so far rescued 11,993 people using helicopters and land routes. Around 21,314 security personnel have been mobilised for the search and rescue operations.

The flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal, leaving a trail of destruction and thousands of people missing.

On the Chinese side, the death toll in the flash flood that struck Gyirong county in Tibet near the Nepal border has increased to 21, with 541 others still missing.

Nearly 100 Chinese nationals remain unaccounted for in Nepal, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing on Wednesday.

Addressing the House of Representatives, PM Shah said the scale and nature of the disaster raised serious questions about the growing risks faced by people living in the Himalayan region due to climate change.

"According to experts, the flash flood in Bhotekoshi of Rasuwa district was caused by an ice-rock avalanche in the Himalayas. This incident shows the increasing risk the people of the mountain region have to bear with the occurrence of climate change," he said.

"Therefore," Shah stressed, "We need to present the fact in a strong manner to the international community that the disaster is linked to climate change."

There is a global contribution behind climate change. And the responsibility to manage and minimise its effects also rests with the global community, the prime minister said. (PTI)