Nepal ends search and rescue after devastating floods kill at least 1,455
Photo: Nepal ends search for people missing after August floods (Getty Images)
Nepal has ended its search and rescue operation following the August floods that killed at least 1,455 people. More than 5,000 people are still missing, according to Reuters.
The flooding began on August 26 along Nepal’s border with Tibet. In addition to those killed, at least 5,285 people are still missing, while 13,795 people were rescued.
The disaster destroyed 12 hydropower plants, as well as roads, bridges, farms and entire settlements.
Authorities are now shifting from search operations to the recovery of affected areas. Phanindra Paudel, head of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said the government is working out how to legally declare the missing people dead. Without such a declaration, their families cannot claim insurance benefits or complete banking and other official paperwork.
Dharam Raj Uprety, head of the National Disaster Risk Management Authority, clarified that bodies will no longer be searched for systematically. However, remains, belongings and valuables found during reconstruction work will be handed over to relatives, while rescuers will continue responding to emergency calls when necessary.
Ukrainians were also among those who went missing after the floods. When devastating floodwaters hit the Nepal-Tibet border, 53 Ukrainian citizens were initially reported missing as of August 26. Two days later, the number rose to 56, although no deaths or injuries among them had been reported at the time.
