Nepal flash floods toll hits 1,344 as 5,000 remain missing

Nepal's flash flood death toll rose to 1,344 as rescuers searched flooded districts and hydropower tunnels. The disaster has shifted attention to body identification, missing persons and long-term rehabilitation.

In Short

• Rescuers pulled Chandika Shrestha alive from debris after ten days trapped
• DNA matching is crucial as many recovered bodies are decomposed or fragmented
• More than 13,000 people have been rescued across eight badly hit districts

The death toll from the flash floods in Nepal rose to 1,344 on Saturday as more bodies were recovered from eight affected districts, officials said. Rescue teams were still searching for around 5,000 missing people, including at least 589 foreign nationals, while more than 13,000 people have been rescued 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. The Bhotekoshi River carried the floodwaters downstream, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges, and damaging hydropower projects. Chinese media reports said at least 21 people were killed on the Chinese side, while more than 500 remained missing in Tibet.

Among those rescued on Saturday was 60-year-old Chandika Shrestha, who was pulled out alive from the upper floor of a four-storey house buried under mud and debris in Bidur town of Nuwakot district. She had been trapped there for 10 days. An Armed Police Force team found her unconscious and she was flown to the Nepali Army's Maithili Barracks in Trishuli for treatment.

Officials said that of the 1,344 bodies recovered in Nepal so far, 758 were adults, 85 were children and 501 were recovered with body parts missing. They said the condition of the bodies was due to prolonged exposure to water and the weight of debris. Chitwan district accounted for 360 bodies, the highest among all districts, followed by 230 in Nawalparasi West and 222 in Nawalparasi East. The remaining bodies were recovered from Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Gorkha, Dhading and Tanahun districts, according to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. As many as 1,030 bodies were temporarily buried after required procedures, including DNA collection, were completed. Only 96 bodies have so far been handed over to families after identification.

Identifying the dead has become a major challenge, officials said. Bodies swept downstream were often badly damaged, decomposed or recovered only in parts, making identification by face, clothing or personal belongings difficult. Prolonged immersion in water and exposure to mud and debris can destroy identifiable features, while some remains have been fragmented or mixed with other remains. Forensic experts said DNA testing has therefore become crucial, though it is a time-consuming process that requires samples from the remains and biological relatives for comparison. Officials added that fingerprints and dental records can also help establish identities, depending on the condition of the remains and the availability of matching records.

Major rescue operations were under way at hydropower projects in the affected districts, where hundreds of men are believed to be trapped in tunnels. Teams from India and China were assisting Nepali rescuers. Since Friday, three people have been rescued from tunnels. Two Nepali men were rescued from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project on Friday, and a Chinese man was rescued from the Upper Trishuli I project on Saturday. Authorities also said an Indian tunnel rescue team working with the Nepalese Army had made a temporary track inside the Chilime tunnel in Rasuwa district to allow heavy equipment to reach the affected areas. Meanwhile, authorities continued to monitor water levels in rivers including the Koshi, Narayani, Bagmati, Karnali, Mahakali, Kankai, Kamal, Kamala, Babai, Eastern Rapti and Western Rapti, as joint rescue teams carried on search and rehabilitation work for the eleventh day.

With the toll rising, thousands still missing and rescue efforts continuing in flooded districts and hydropower tunnels, Nepal remained focused on search operations, identification of bodies and rehabilitation work on Saturday.

With PTI Inputs

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