The death toll from the devastating flash floods that struck Nepal last month has climbed to 1,404, with rescue teams continuing to search for more than 6,000 people still unaccounted for, authorities said on Wednesday. The disaster, triggered by a massive ice-and-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, caused widespread destruction across several districts of northern and central Nepal.
According to the latest bulletin issued by the Nepal Police, at least 1,404 people have died in the floods, while around 6,150 people are still reported missing. More than 13,700 people have so far been rescued as authorities continue search and recovery operations in areas affected by the sudden flooding.
The disaster began after an ice and rock mass collapsed in the Himalayan region near the Nepal-Tibet border, unleashing huge volumes of water and debris downstream. The Bhotekoshi River, which originates in the Himalayan border region and flows southwards, carried the floodwaters through populated areas, destroying houses, vehicles, roads and bridges and causing extensive damage to hydropower infrastructure.
The scale of the tragedy has extended beyond Nepal. On the Chinese side of the border, at least 43 people were reported dead and more than 500 remained missing, according to Chinese media reports.
Within Nepal, Chitwan has recorded the highest number of recovered bodies, with 364 deaths reported from the district. Nawalparasi East has reported 232 deaths, while another 222 bodies have been recovered in Nawalparasi West. Other fatalities have been recorded in Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Gorkha, Dhading and Tanahun, officials said.
Authorities are facing a major challenge in identifying the victims because many bodies were recovered after being carried long distances by floodwaters. Several remains were found in severely damaged or decomposed condition, while some were recovered only in parts. The prolonged exposure to water, mud and debris has made conventional identification methods such as facial recognition, clothing and personal belongings difficult.
Forensic teams are consequently relying heavily on DNA analysis to establish the identities of victims. However, the process is expected to take considerable time as samples collected from unidentified remains have to be compared with biological samples from relatives of missing people.
Of the 1,404 bodies recovered in Nepal, only 104 had been formally identified and handed over to their families by Wednesday, highlighting the enormous challenge facing authorities in the aftermath of the disaster.
Search operations have also intensified around hydropower projects in the flood-hit districts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot, where several workers remain unaccounted for. Teams from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, hydropower projects and foreign technical personnel are participating in the operations.
At the Chilime hydropower project, rescuers recovered the remains of five people from a tunnel on Wednesday. Indian and Nepali rescue teams had been working for several days to clear thick layers of mud and debris from the powerhouse area before reaching the tunnel. India’s Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, said the operation did not find any survivors.
The floods have also disrupted transportation and communications across several affected parts of Nepal, with damaged roads and bridges complicating relief and rescue efforts. India has separately extended assistance to Nepal, including rescue personnel, relief supplies, forensic equipment and support for restoring damaged infrastructure.
As recovery operations continue, authorities are facing the difficult task of simultaneously locating those still missing, identifying recovered remains and restoring connectivity in communities devastated by the floods. The large number of people still unaccounted for means that the final human cost of the August 26 disaster could remain uncertain for some time.
