Kathmandu: Hopes of finding more survivors are fading in Nepal a week after a massive glacier and rock collapse triggered devastating floods across mountain communities near the China border.
Nepal Police said on Wednesday that 1,127 bodies had been recovered and 4,858 people remained missing as search and rescue operations continued. Police said 6,541 people had been rescued from affected areas, while thousands of personnel were still working in the disaster zone.
Across the border in Tibet, China, 16 people have died and 546 remain missing.
Rescue teams are continuing to search for people believed to be trapped inside underground powerhouses and tunnels at several hydropower projects. At least 279 people have been rescued from damaged hydropower facilities, while 639 others remain missing from those sites.
The disaster struck on August 26 after a rapid slope failure involving a glacier in Langtang National Park in northern Nepal, near the Chinese border. The collapse sent ice, rock, mud and water down the mountain and into river channels.
The United States Geological Survey has determined that the collapse generated seismic energy equivalent to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. It clarified that the seismic event initially reported as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake was actually caused by a glacial collapse and debris flow. No earthquake had occurred.
Scientists are still studying the exact nature of the initial collapse. The US Geological Survey says it remains unclear whether it should be classified as a landslide that incorporated part of a glacier or as a glacial collapse.
The resulting debris flow travelled nearly 100 kilometres and caused widespread destruction along the Lende Khola, Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems.
Settlements, roads, bridges, businesses and energy facilities were destroyed or badly damaged. A vital highway connecting Nepal and China was also affected, along with border trade facilities.
The disaster has created a major challenge for rescue teams because large amounts of mud, rocks and other debris have covered roads and infrastructure. Search teams are also facing difficult conditions inside underground power facilities where many people remain unaccounted for.
The scale of the destruction is becoming clearer. A preliminary assessment by the United Nations Development Programme estimates that about 2.2 million tonnes of debris were left in the areas examined. The debris includes parts of buildings, household belongings, vegetation, rocks and sediment.
The disaster has also severely disrupted Nepal's energy system. Eleven hydropower stations and one solar plant, with a combined capacity of 431.1 megawatts, had stopped operating. Fifteen other power projects under construction, with a planned capacity of 470 megawatts, were also damaged.
The effects on local communities are likely to continue for a long time. Government figures show that about 84,270 people have been affected across 17 municipalities in six districts. Many of these communities depend on agriculture, and the floods struck during Nepal's main monsoon planting season.
Damage to farmland, crops and livestock could therefore affect food supplies and family incomes in the months ahead.
The humanitarian situation is also creating public health concerns. Flooding and debris have affected access to clean water, roads and health services. Damaged facilities and temporary shelters are adding to the difficulties faced by people who have lost their homes.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah has said the government is gradually shifting its attention towards rehabilitation and reconstruction while continuing efforts to protect people in affected areas and provide medical treatment and psychological support.
The disaster has also raised wider questions about the changing risks in the Himalayas.
Scientists have warned that rising temperatures are changing glaciers, snow and frozen ground across the Himalayan region. These changes can contribute to unstable slopes, changing water flows and other hazards.
However, scientists have cautioned against saying that climate change directly caused the August 26 disaster. The precise role of global warming in the collapse is still being investigated.
There is stronger scientific evidence that climate change is increasing the wider risks of floods, glacier loss and other mountain hazards in the Himalayas. Research has shown changes in flood patterns across High Mountain Asia, while experts have warned that warming conditions can increase instability in mountain environments.
A senior United Nations official has also warned that millions of people in the Himalayan region could face serious risks from future glacial floods. Nepal, China and India have numerous high altitude glacial lakes and river systems that support large populations downstream.
The Nepal disaster therefore represents more than a single catastrophic flood. It highlights the difficult combination of a changing climate, unstable mountain terrain, growing communities and major infrastructure located along vulnerable river systems.
For Nepal and its neighbours, the challenge now is not only to recover from the destruction caused by the August 26 disaster but also to prepare for future events that may be difficult to predict and even harder to control.
Better monitoring of glaciers and mountain slopes, stronger early warning systems, improved regional cooperation and more resilient infrastructure will be increasingly important as the Himalayan region faces a changing climate.