Nepal ends search for thousands of flood victims, leaving some families angry and others relieved

Nepal's government has ended search and rescue operations for victims of the Aug. 26 floods, shifting focus to rebuilding roads and bridges, even as 5,285 people remain missing beyond the 1,455 bodies already recovered. The decision, announced by Prime Minister Balendra Shah's office, has split families: some are protesting and demanding continued searches, while others are seeking death certificates to find closure, which the government has so far declined to issue pending legal changes.

Reconstruction is estimated to cost $4.77 billion, with nearly 33,000 people affected and about 7,500 homes damaged or destroyed. Brief rescues in early September, including of two Nepalese workers and a Chinese man found in a hydropower tunnel, had revived hope before the search was called off.

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