[Anchor]

As time passes and rescue operations continue, the casualties from the massive floods that struck Nepal yesterday (the 26th) are surging. The death toll has currently risen to 165, while the number of missing people across both Nepal and China has exceeded 1,300, with 9 South Korean nationals still unaccounted for.

For our first report, here is Kim Young-a.

[Reporter]

A survivor rescued from the mud is transported on heavy machinery.

On the second day since the massive floods struck, Nepali authorities mobilized troops and helicopters to carry out rescue operations.

However, in villages completely turned into thick mud, simply taking a step forward to search is extremely difficult.

[Nepal Flood Survivor: We took shelter on the roof for safety, but the floodwaters rushed all the way up to the top floor.]

Nepal police announced today that the death toll has increased to 165.

The number of missing persons, which stood at 484 yesterday, surged by nearly 350 in a single day to reach 826.

Among them, approximately 600 are foreign nationals.

[Flood-Affected Area Resident: Just 30 minutes after I arrived at the Dhunge market, the floods rushed in and destroyed the entire market. Right now, it is impossible to know how many people are missing or dead.]

Nine South Korean nationals belonging to Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility, who went missing while building a hydroelectric power plant in the area, remain out of contact.

In China's Gyirong County, where a landslide believed to be linked to the floods occurred, 3 people have died so far, and 558 people, including 260 foreign nationals, are missing.

Combined between the two countries, the total number of missing persons exceeds 1,300.

The U.S. Geological Survey stated that the cause of this disaster was not an earthquake, but rather a quake-like phenomenon triggered by a glacial collapse.

Climate change in the Himalayas driven by global warming has been pointed to as the underlying cause.

[Video Editing: Chae Chul-ho]