The number of missing persons from the massive floods that struck the Himalayan mountainous region on the border between Nepal and China late last month surged by nearly 1,000 within a single day during authorities' compilation process.

According to AFP and other foreign media outlets on the 17th (local time), Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority announced the previous day that 1,403 people have died so far from the massive floods that hit areas in Bagmati Province and elsewhere in the central-northern region on August 26.

Adding the 43 people killed in a debris flow 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 1,446.

The Nepalese government explained that out of the 1,403 bodies recovered so far, the identities of only 105—accounting for 7.4%—have been confirmed.

The number of missing persons in Nepal due to these massive floods stood at 5,179 as of the 15th, but surged to 6,150 within a single day.

Combined with the 519 people whose whereabouts remain unknown in Tibet, the total number of missing persons across both countries reaches 6,669.

The combined total of dead and missing persons in both countries is 8,115.

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.

South Korea's 2nd Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) dispatched to Nepal conducted searches the previous day using unmanned aerial vehicles with the cooperation of the Nepalese military to locate the missing South Koreans.

Yoon Joo-seok, leader of the 2nd KDRT relief team, and two relief workers landed a helicopter in Dunche near the UT-1 power plant construction site and traveled by vehicle to the Ramche area, located at an altitude of 2,000 meters.

They then searched a mountain slope near the power plant's main camp using a drone, but achieved no notable results.

The 2nd KDRT plans to wrap up its weeklong rescue and relief operations as originally scheduled and withdraw from the site tonight.

Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah plans to attend the UN General Assembly opening next week to urge climate change responses and demand compensation from developed countries for the flood damage.

Earlier, Nepalese Foreign Minister Sisir Khanal claimed, "Even though Nepal's greenhouse gas emissions are practically negligible, we are paying the ultimate price for a global crisis that we did not cause."

In fact, according to the international organization Global Carbon Project (GCP), Nepal's annual carbon dioxide emissions in 2024 accounted for a mere 0.05% of the global total.

On the other hand, China accounted for over 30% of global emissions, and the United States accounted for more than 10%.

The Nepalese government estimated the total damage and losses from the massive floods at 408.29 billion Nepalese rupees (approx. 3.6 trillion won) and expects reconstruction costs to reach 723.31 billion Nepalese rupees (approx. 6.3 trillion won).

(Photo provided by Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), Yonhap News)