Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah warned Tuesday that climate change was increasing the risks facing Himalayan communities as rescue teams continued searching rivers and hydropower tunnels for thousands of people missing after last week’s catastrophic floods.
In a Facebook post, Shah described the disaster as one of the largest to strike the region and said it had been triggered by a massive avalanche of snow and rock in the Himalayas.
“The incident indicates that the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing alongside climate change,” Shah said, urging countries across the region to remain vigilant.
He also called for Nepal to raise the impact of climate-related disasters more forcefully with the international community as the country confronts the aftermath of the floods.
Official figures released Tuesday put the combined death toll in Nepal and China at 1,019, while 4,462 people remain missing, including 844 foreign nationals.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said another 84 fatalities had been confirmed, bringing the death toll on the Nepalese side to 1,003. A further 3,916 people remain unaccounted for, including 583 foreigners.
Chinese authorities have reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing on their side of the border, including 261 foreign nationals.
Search operations continued Tuesday in rivers and tunnels associated with hydropower projects, where rescuers believe some of those missing could be located.
With the number of bodies recovered continuing to rise, Shah said authorities were following scientific and legal procedures for victims whose identities could not immediately be established.
He said the government was taking responsibility for unidentified bodies while preserving DNA samples and other evidence that could allow victims to be identified later.
The disaster has intensified concerns over the vulnerability of Himalayan communities to extreme weather and high-altitude hazards, with Shah calling for greater international attention to the climate risks confronting Nepal and the wider region.