Nepal has suspended active search and rescue operations after devastating floods on August 26. At least 1,455 people have died, and 5,285 are still missing. 13,795 people have been rescued.
The floods hit the Rasuwa district in northern Nepal, near the border with China's Tibet region. The floodwaters and mudslides destroyed homes, roads and bridges, and among the severely damaged infrastructure were 12 hydroelectric power plants, farms and entire settlements.
Authorities move to reconstruction
“We are moving from the search and rescue phase to the recovery and rehabilitation phase,” Fanindra Paudel, head of Nepal's National Disaster Management Authority, told Reuters.
He said authorities were discussing how to legally declare the missing as dead. This is necessary so that their families can settle insurance, banking and other legal matters.
Dharam Raj Upreti, head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Agency, said there would be no more active searches for bodies. However, the recovery work will include collecting remains, personal belongings and other materials that could help determine the fate of the missing. Emergency rescue operations will continue if necessary.
Recovery will cost billions
Nepalese authorities estimate that nearly $5 billion will be needed for the rapid recovery and rehabilitation of the thousands of people left homeless. The amount includes the restoration of destroyed infrastructure and support for people who have become internally displaced by the disaster.
At the end of September, it was reported that the fate of 56 Ukrainian citizens who were in the affected areas of Nepal and Tibet remained unknown. Flooding and subsequent landslides cut off access to a number of places and hampered rescue efforts.
Sources: reuters.com