Relatives hold symbolic funerals for thousands missing as Nepal toll crosses 1,243

The death toll from devastating flash floods in the Nepal-Tibet region rose to 1,243 on Thursday, as rescue teams battled heavy rain and thick debris while searching for people believed to be trapped in tunnels and underground power facilities along the Bhotekoshi River.Prime Minister Balendra Shah said Nepal must raise the disaster’s connection to climate change with the international community, as families held symbolic funerals for relatives who remain missing following last week’s floods.Speaking at the fifth daily press briefing in Kathmandu, ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri said authorities had begun conducting temporary burials for victims as search and rescue operations continued around the clock.Chhetri said 11,993 people had been rescued, while 1,114 bodies had been recovered.