Nepal suspends search operations as government calls for international aid

Search and rescue operations in Nepal were temporarily halted on Saturday due to heavy rain and fog. Narendra Pariyar, the chief district officer for Rasuwa, stated that the current focus is on transporting survivors to Kathmandu. So far, 626 deaths have been confirmed, with 2,426 people still missing, including tourists and pilgrims from Britain, the US, India, and Malaysia. China reported seven deaths and 554 missing in Tibet. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal stated that Nepal requires international technical assistance to rescue victims trapped in tunnels, restore transport links, and manage the identification of recovered bodies, including DNA testing. India has already dispatched 60 tonnes of relief supplies and offered to send specialized tunnel rescue teams. Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle estimated that reconstruction efforts will require between $4 billion and $5 billion. The disaster, triggered by a glacial collapse, caused massive torrents of rock and mud that destroyed infrastructure and power stations across the region.