Nepal-Tibet flood deaths pass 1,000 as police ask relatives for DNA to identify victims

The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet has surpassed 1,000, nearly a week after flash floods devastated towns and valleys across the Himalayan region. Nepali authorities are now asking relatives of missing tourists and workers to provide blood samples and photographs so that DNA testing can be used to identify victims recovered from the wreckage.

Rescue teams have constructed temporary bridges to reach remote areas and have been digging through the ruins of hydropower projects in the Himalayas to rescue hundreds of trapped workers. Approximately 600 people remain stuck in several devastated hydropower stations that have become the focus of the ongoing rescue operation, according to officials involved in the effort.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah said more than 11,000 people had been rescued across the affected region, and that power and communication lines had been restored in some areas. The statement offered a rare note of progress in a disaster that has overwhelmed local capacity and drawn international attention to the vulnerability of infrastructure in the mountainous border zone.

The floods, triggered by intense rainfall and glacial activity, swept through valleys with little warning, destroying homes, roads, and bridges. The hydropower stations, many of which are located in narrow gorges along fast-moving rivers, suffered some of the worst damage, trapping workers inside tunnels and facilities when the waters surged.

Rescuers have faced difficult conditions, including unstable terrain, damaged access routes, and the risk of further flooding. Temporary bridges have allowed teams to reach communities that were cut off in the immediate aftermath, while heavy equipment has been used to clear debris from the hydropower sites where workers remain unaccounted for.

The request for DNA samples underscores the scale of the human toll and the difficulty of identifying bodies recovered from the mud and rubble. Relatives of missing tourists have been asked to come forward with samples and photographs, a process that is likely to take weeks given the number of victims and the condition of many remains.

The disaster has raised questions about the safety of large infrastructure projects in geologically fragile mountain regions, where climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Hydropower is a key part of Nepal's economy, providing electricity domestically and for export to neighboring countries, but the floods have exposed the risks of building in such volatile landscapes.

Officials have said that rescue efforts will continue until all accessible areas have been searched, though the chances of finding more survivors are diminishing as time passes. The focus is now shifting toward recovery and identification, as well as providing shelter, food, and medical care to the thousands who lost their homes.

The Nepali government has faced criticism over the speed of its initial response, though officials have defended their efforts given the scale of the disaster and the difficulty of reaching affected areas. International aid organizations and neighboring countries have offered assistance, and some specialized rescue teams have been deployed to support the local effort.

As the region begins to assess the full extent of the damage, the immediate priority remains the rescue of the hundreds still trapped in the hydropower tunnels and the identification of the dead. The coming days will determine whether the death toll rises further or whether the remaining workers can be brought out alive.