San Francisco Frontiers - Thousands missing, aid needs mount one month after Nepal's deadly floods

One month on, AFP looks at the scale of the disaster triggered by a high-altitude glacial mountain collapse on the China-Nepal border, which scientists have linked to climate change.

- 'Bullet train' of debris -

On August 26 at 8:37 am (0252 GMT), a mass of ice and rock broke away from the north face of Nepal's Langtang Lirung mountain, sending a huge mass of debris racing down the valley.

The collapse began at an altitude of about 5,200 metres (17,060 feet) with a section more than a kilometre (0.6 miles) wide and extending roughly 700 metres vertically.

That mass of rock and ice plunged about 800 metres onto a debris-covered glacier, before surging downhill, briefly damming the Lhende River. Water and debris then burst downstream.

The debris travelled about 20 kilometres, dropping 1,700 metres at Rasuwagadhi in only seven minutes, said Sudan Bikash Maharjan, a geologist with the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.

"The elevation difference is high, within a very short length," Maharjan told AFP. "So it just rushed down like a bullet train."

- Heavy toll -

Nepal's disaster authority says 1,451 bodies have been recovered from the rubble and mud, while more than 5,700 people are missing.

Among the missing are hundreds of workers from hydropower projects swept away by the disaster, along with hundreds more foreigners including tourists and pilgrims caught in the floodwaters.

Identifying victims through DNA has proved a major challenge for Nepali authorities.

With morgues overwhelmed, many bodies have been buried in mass graves after their DNA was recorded.

So far, only about 100 bodies have been identified.

On the Chinese side, where apocalyptic images showed a border post obliterated, state media have reported 43 deaths and 519 people missing.

- Rescue operations -

Hundreds of rescuers, many deployed by helicopter, have spent weeks digging through mud and debris in search of survivors.

There have been rare breakthroughs. In Nepal, three workers -- two Nepalis and a Chinese man -- were rescued alive from tunnels under construction where they had been trapped.

One of them, 30-year-old Sanjay Sah, told AFP he survived 10 days in darkness by drinking muddy water and praying.

"I survived thanks to my deep faith and trust," he said.

Rescuers continue to recover bodies from the vast expanse of sticky grey mud.

- Aid efforts -

The disaster has affected more than 80,000 people. Thousands who lost everything are living in emergency shelters.

The United Nations has launched an urgent appeal for nearly $50 million in emergency aid.

Many communities near the epicentre remain cut off, with the UN and the Nepali government delivering supplies by helicopter and cargo drone.

Several countries have pledged financial support for Nepal, amounting to a few million dollars -- far below the scale of the disaster.

- Economic hit -

Nepal estimates the reconstruction bill will amount to $4.78 billion.

Of that, $57 million is needed for short-term reconstruction and recovery over the next six months.

The floods have cut Nepal's electricity generation capacity -- mainly hydropower -- by 10 percent, with the energy sector accounting for half of the total infrastructure damage from the disaster.

The floods have cut Nepal's hydropower generation capacity as well as total electricity generation capacity by 10 percent, with the energy sector accounting for half of the total infrastructure damage from the disaster.

Nepal's economy is already under pressure, with limited resources to respond to a disaster of this scale.

The World Bank estimates 82 percent of Nepal's workforce is in informal employment, with GDP per capita at $1,447 in 2024.

- Climate change -

From the first hours after the disaster, experts pointed to climate change as a contributing factor.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said the disaster was not caused by a single extreme weather event, but a "compound crisis" shaped by long-term warming, glacier retreat, permafrost thaw and geological instability.

"There is no doubt that climate change is one of the drivers," said Friederike Otto, a professor of climate science at Imperial College London.

Nepal's leaders say the country needs long-term international support to adapt to a rapidly changing mountain environment.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has urged the world to recognise the dangers of climate change and act quickly.

C.Williams--SFF