Kathmandu, Sept 7:
Rescue teams in Nepal continued searching for thousands of people still missing after devastating floods and landslides, while authorities struggled to identify bodies recovered from the disaster zone. The death toll has crossed 1,300, with nearly 5,000 people still unaccounted for, according to authorities. î
The disaster, triggered by a glacial collapse on August 26, caused massive flooding and mudslides across parts of Nepal and neighbouring Tibet. More than 13,000 people have been rescued, but search teams are facing huge quantities of mud and debris, damaged infrastructure and difficult access to hydropower tunnels and other affected locations. î
Identification of victims has emerged as a major challenge, with many remains too badly damaged for visual identification. Authorities are relying increasingly on DNA testing, fingerprints and other forensic techniques. The discovery of a woman alive after being trapped for 10 days under debris has also renewed hopes that some of those listed as missing could still be found alive.