The number of dead and missing victims from the massive floods that struck the Himalayan mountainous region along the border of Nepal and China late last month has surpassed 7,000.

According to local media outlets including Nepal Press and EFE on the 15th (local time), Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority announced that 1,395 people have died so far from the massive floods that hit areas in the mid-northern Bagmati Province on the 26th of last month.

Combining this with the 43 deaths caused by debris flow disasters linked to these floods in China's Tibet Autonomous Region near the Nepalese border on the same day, the total death toll for both countries stands at 1,438.

The number of missing persons also increased to a total of 5,649, combining 5,130 in Nepal and 519 in Tibet.

The total number of dead and missing persons across both countries is 7,087.

Nine South Koreans, including six employees of Doosan Enerbility and three employees of Korea South-East Power who were constructing the Upper Trishuli-1 (UT-1) hydroelectric power plant in Nepal, also remain missing.

The Nepalese government explained that out of the 1,395 bodies recovered so far, the identities of only 104 bodies (7.4%) have been verified.

This is because many bodies were damaged while being swept away by swift currents or were found after remaining submerged in water for a long time, making it difficult to verify DNA information.

Nepalese Prime Balendra Shah met with local government officials from severely flood-affected regions such as Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading the previous day to discuss search operations for the missing and future reconstruction plans.

Earlier, the Nepalese government estimated the total damage and losses from the massive floods at 408.29 billion Nepalese rupees (approximately 3.6 trillion won), and projected that reconstruction costs will reach 723.31 billion Nepalese rupees (approximately 6.3 trillion won).

Dharma Raj Upreti, head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, stated that local governments in the affected areas will pursue creating green spaces along the riverbanks where the flood damage occurred and relocating residents to safe locations.

Meanwhile, the 2nd batch of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) dispatched to Nepal will resume drone searches with the cooperation of the Nepalese military to find the nine missing South Koreans.

The 2nd batch of KDRT visited evacuation shelters and Red Cross offices in the Nuwakot region the previous day to receive briefings on the local situation and delivered relief supplies including blankets, tarpaulins, mattresses, and hygiene kits.