Five days after a glacial collapse triggered catastrophic floods in northern Nepal and Tibet, authorities in Bharatpur began mass burials of 270 unidentified bodies recovered from riverbanks over 100 miles downstream. As of Sunday night, nearly 800 bodies had been found while more than 2,500 people remain missing — far beyond the critical 72-hour rescue window. The disaster swept away villagers, hydropower workers, and tourists from nearly three dozen countries on religious pilgrimages.

Rescue efforts focus on tunnels of major hydropower projects in Rasuwa and Nuwakot. The Nepali Army, supported by Indian teams, accessed one tunnel Sunday but found it flooded with no signs of life. Thermal drones detected no survivors in a second tunnel. Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet confirmed the grim outlook.

Nepal's limited infrastructure exacerbated the crisis. Chitwan morgues hold only three dozen bodies, forcing officials to use a government hall with one air conditioner. Police Chief Rameshwor Poudel said only about a dozen bodies were identified. Senior traffic cop Anil Thapa reported 15-20 new bodies found daily, warning recovery "will keep going on for months." Nearly a dozen bodies washed up in India, underscoring the flood's massive force.