Nepal flash floods toll crosses 1,400 as over 6,000 remain missing

Rescuers in Nepal are searching flood-hit districts after flash floods killed more than 1,400 people and left over 6,000 missing. DNA testing and tunnel recoveries at hydropower sites underline the scale and difficulty of identification efforts.

In Short

• Ice-rock avalanche near Nepal-Tibet border triggered disaster on 26 August
• Bhotekoshi floodwaters destroyed homes, vehicles, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure
• Chitwan reported most recovered bodies, ahead of both Nawalparasi districts

The death toll from the flash floods in Nepal has crossed 1,400, with more bodies being recovered from affected districts as rescuers continue to search for more than 6,000 missing people, officials said on Wednesday. According to a Nepal Police bulletin, 1,404 people have died so far.

The floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal. More than 13,700 people have been rescued, but 6,150 are still missing, officials said.

The Bhotekoshi River carried floodwaters downstream from the Himalayan border region, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects. On the Chinese side, the floods killed 43 people and left more than 500 missing, according to Chinese media.

In Nepal, Chitwan district recorded the highest number of bodies recovered at 364, followed by 232 in Nawalparasi East and 222 in Nawalparasi West. The rest were recovered in Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Gorkha, Dhading and Tanahun districts, officials said. Authorities said identifying the dead has become a major challenge, and only 104 bodies have been handed over to families so far after identification. Officials said many bodies recovered downstream were severely damaged, decomposed or found only in parts, making identification through faces, clothing or personal belongings difficult. Forensic experts said DNA testing has become crucial, though it is a time-consuming process that requires samples from the remains and biological relatives for comparison.

Search teams have been deployed at several hydropower projects in flood-hit Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, where many workers remain unaccounted for. The operations involve the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, project personnel and foreign technicians. India's Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, said the mortal remains of five people were recovered from the Chilime hydropower project's tunnel on Wednesday after Indian and Nepali rescue teams reached the powerhouse following several days of clearing slush and mud. He said the teams were unable to find any survivors. With the toll continuing to rise and thousands still missing, the search and identification effort remains under way across the affected districts.

With PTI Inputs

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