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Nepal on high alert for fresh flooding after river levels rise as death toll passes 900
On Monday, authorities confirmed 42 Australians remain missing five days after a catastrophic glacier collapse triggered deadly floods and mudslides across Nepal and Tibet, with the regional death toll climbing above 800.
Approximately 10,000 Nepali troops have joined specialist teams from China and India to battle rugged terrain and rising water levels in the Bhote Koshi River, where crews are using heavy machinery to clear tunnel debris.
With Canberra committing $2 million in direct assistance via the Australian Defence Force, Australia's total humanitarian support has reached $8 million, supported by more than $3.5 million raised by the Emergency Action Alliance comprising 15 charities.
Amid deteriorating conditions, authorities have begun mass burials of unidentified victims and requested international assistance for DNA testing, even as Save the Children has successfully reunited 69 children with their families since Friday.
A public candlelight vigil will be held at Melbourne's Federation Square this evening to honor those killed, as authorities warn that chances of finding survivors are slowly dimming on day five.
The new stocktaking of the floods on the Nepal-China border reveals a worsening of the tragedy, with hundreds of additional fatalities and thousands of people still missing, including foreigners and hydroelectric workers
More than 900 dead and at least 4,247 missing in a catastrophic flash flood in Nepal and Tibet. In the affected areas, food is running out, there is no fuel or electricity.