Nepal's young PM faces gravest test after flood catastrophe

KATHMANDU , Sept 2: Nepal's rapper-turned-prime minister swept to power six months ago promising reform, but his young government now faces its gravest test after a glacial collapse unleashed catastrophe, analysts say.

A huge wave of freezing water and debris killed more than 1,000 people and left nearly 4,500 missing, with Kathmandu warning reconstruction costs could run into the "billions of dollars".

The Himalayan nation has limited resources to confront destruction on such a scale, and the disaster is stark warning of the dangerous fragility of its mountain environment in a rapidly heating world.

But the August 26 disaster also came just ahead of the anniversary of last year's September 8-9 youth-driven anti-corruption protests that toppled the previous government.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah, the 36-year-old former Kathmandu mayor widely known as "Balen", won March elections on a wave of euphoria and promises of political change.

But he has since remained an elusive public figure -- often seen in a sharp black suit and sunglasses, while largely communicating through social media.

He posted a message hours after the floods, urging the country to "stand together", and has visited the disaster zones. But, one week after Nepal's deadliest disaster since the 2015 earthquake, Shah has still not publicly addressed the nation.

Many say the scale of the catastrophe meant any government would have struggled with the rescue and relief effort.

"The government may be inexperienced, but it has done its best," said Prakash Aryal, who has been searching morgues for his sister and her family, speaking to AFP at a Kathmandu hospital.�"AFP