Mudslide death toll in Nepal rises to 1,374: police

The death toll from the devastating mudslide in Nepal had reached 1,374 as of 20:00 local time on Wednesday, according to the latest figures released by Nepalese police.

The catastrophic flash flood and mudslide triggered by a glacial collapse on the Nepalese side struck the remote China-Nepal border region on Aug 26 morning, causing heavy casualties and leaving thousands of people missing.

Authorities have been working around the clock on search and rescue operations, body recovery, and victim identification in the aftermath of one of the deadliest natural disasters hitting the region in years.

China has launched a 24-hour English-language hotline for families of those still listed as missing in the devastating mudslide and floods that struck a border zone between the Xizang Autonomous Region of China and neighboring Nepal on August 26, receiving nearly 600 calls in two weeks since its entry into service.

As search and rescue operations enter their third week, Kelsang Chudzong, director of the Protocol and Information Division at the Foreign Affairs Office of the Xizang Autonomous Region, said that the primary concerns of victims' families have somewhat shifted.

"In the early stage, family members of foreigners still listed as missing were mainly concerned about the progress of our search-and-rescue efforts, as well as verification of information about missing relatives and friends. As search and rescue work moves forward, they are more concerned about matters related to DNA sampling," Kelsang said.

Kelsang also noted that family members were concerned about the procedures for foreign relatives traveling into Xizang, as well as other related follow-up processes.

The hotline has been operational since the end of August. Together with colleagues in Xigaze, the team manning the hotline has taken nearly 600 calls as of Wednesday.

In the past few days, calls from families of people still listed as missing on the Chinese side have gradually decreased. But the team continues to stay by the phone 24/7.

"We listen very patiently to every caller's needs and carefully record every piece of leading information. In the process, we do our utmost to provide emotional support and reassurance to these family members," Kelsang said.

She said that the team has established a "one person, one file" system which lays the groundwork for follow-up tasks, and that the team members will continue to do what they can to contribute to the ongoing relief and rescue work.