Nepal begins mass burials as flood death toll and missing count rise

Authorities in Nepal have started mass burials after floods and landslides swept through parts of the country, with the death toll still climbing and thousands of people unaccounted for. The disaster has hit several areas over the past four days, and officials say more bodies are likely to be found.

France 24 reported that more than 750 people have died and over 3,000 remain missing, while the New York Times said only a small share of the more than 2,500 missing have been recovered among the dead. Both reports pointed to continuing concern that the number of fatalities will keep rising.

Search and recovery efforts are continuing as families wait for news of relatives. The worsening outlook has been compounded by forecasts of more rain and further flooding across the region, according to France 24.

The scale of the disaster has left local authorities dealing with both emergency response and the difficult task of identifying victims. Nepal’s monsoon season often brings deadly flooding and landslides, and this latest event has added to that recurring risk.