Nepal flood toll hits 1,252 as families hold symbolic funerals

Rising toll across Himalayas

Families in Nepal's devastated mountain districts have begun holding symbolic funerals for loved ones lost to last week's catastrophic floods as authorities confirmed the death toll has climbed to 1,252, with more than 4,200 people still missing. In neighboring China, the disaster has claimed 21 lives and left 541 people unaccounted for, including 261 foreign nationals, local authorities said. The combined casualty figure for both nations now stands at 1,273 dead and 4,757 missing, including 844 foreigners overall.

Sacred rites for the lost

In Rasuwa, one of the hardest-hit districts, grieving families constructed funeral effigies using kaas-kush, or sacred grass, performing final rites to "liberate the souls" of relatives they have given up hope of finding, according to the Kathmandu Post. Dozens of these symbolic figures were cremated Wednesday in a mass funeral ceremony at Pashupati Aryaghat temple on the banks of Kathmandu's Bagmati River. Meanwhile, authorities in Chitwan district have begun burying unidentified remains after collecting DNA samples, as the sheer volume of bodies has overwhelmed identification and storage capabilities.

Survivors face grim conditions

Many survivors have been left without homes or places to conduct mourning rituals after floodwaters swept through entire communities across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Kavre and the Kathmandu Valley. Those who fled to the capital seeking shelter have struggled to find space at public facilities to perform traditional observances for the dead. Military personnel and police continued search operations on Thursday, though rescuers faced severe difficulties as roads, power supplies and communications remain disrupted across wide swaths of the disaster zone.

Glacier collapse triggered devastation

The disaster originated on Aug. 26 when a glacier perched on Nepal's Mount Langtang Lirung fractured at approximately 5,200 meters (17,060 feet), triggering an ice-rock avalanche that transformed into a massive debris flow. The resulting floodwaters and mudslides obliterated valleys along the Nepal-China border, devastating Nepalese districts while burying the Gyirong border crossing in China's Xizang Autonomous Region, also known as Tibet. Relief teams are working to deliver supplies and maintain hygiene in emergency shelters to prevent outbreaks of infectious disease among displaced populations.