5 questions about Nepal’s deadly floods and ongoing search efforts

1. What happened in Nepal?

A glacial collapse in the Himalayas on Aug. 26 sent rock, ice and meltwater into valleys below, triggering powerful floods that swept through rivers in Tibet and Nepal. The floodwaters destroyed homes, buildings, roads and bridges, killing at least 1,118 people and leaving more than 3,900 missing.

2. Who is affected, and how many people are still missing?

Nepal’s Foreign Ministry reports 590 foreign nationals from 39 countries remain missing, while 324 have been rescued. China has reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing as of Sunday, and Australia’s missing count dropped from 43 to 38 after five citizens were confirmed safe.

3. Why are families holding funerals without bodies?

In Nuwakot, one of the hardest-hit districts, some families have performed symbolic funerals for missing relatives presumed dead, using straw effigies in place of bodies. In Hindu tradition, cremation is a crucial final rite, and families say the ceremony offers spiritual release even without recovering their loved ones’ remains.

4. What are authorities doing to identify recovered bodies and reach the disaster site?

Nepali authorities are burying recovered bodies in temporary graves while preserving DNA samples and photographing facial features to help identify victims later. On the Chinese side, rescue crews finished building a makeshift road to the Gyirong Port border crossing so heavy machinery can be brought in to continue the search.

5. What is happening to survivors who have lost their homes?

About 400 survivors, mostly from the town of Timure, are sheltering at the Yellow Gumba monastery in Kathmandu, roughly 110 kilometers from where the floods hit. Locals, relatives and charity organizations are providing relief supplies, and some survivors, like 21-year-old Riya Tamang, are staying in touch with separated family members through video calls.

For more on this report, read “Symbolic funerals held in Nepal for those feared lost as some missing tourists make contact” from The Associated Press, published on The Washington Times.