The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Nepal and China has surpassed 1,000, while thousands remain missing and rescue operations continue in remote Himalayan areas.
Nepal reported 987 deaths and nearly 4,000 people missing, including 583 foreign nationals. China has reported 16 deaths. More than 11,800 people have been rescued in Nepal, with helicopters and aircraft helping reach communities cut off by destroyed roads and bridges.
Rescue teams are now focusing on hydropower projects, where hundreds of workers remain trapped. Authorities estimate that nearly 1,000 people were stranded at several sites, while 279 workers have already been rescued.
Temporary bridges have been built to restore access to isolated communities, and road, electricity and communication links have been restored in some affected areas. In Nuwakot district, one of the worst-hit regions, rescuers recovered 24 bodies from a house in Betrabati village.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said more than $42 million in aid had reached Nepal and warned that the disaster highlighted the growing risks facing the Himalayan region from climate change.
The disaster began on August 26 after a glacier-related collapse sent huge volumes of rock, ice and water into Himalayan valleys, triggering destructive floods and landslides across parts of Nepal and Tibet.
