Nepal floods death toll climbs to 1,365 as rescue teams search for 5,326 missing

Flash floods caused widespread destruction to homes, roads and bridges across northern and central Nepal. Pic/AFP

The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal rose to 1,365 on Wednesday as rescue teams continued recovering bodies from several affected districts, authorities said.

According to a Nepal Police news bulletin, 5,326 people remain missing, including at least 589 foreign nationals. Rescue and security teams are continuing search operations across areas hit by the floods.

Hundreds of bodies recovered from affected districts

Chitwan has reported the highest number of recovered bodies at 363, followed by Nawalparasi East with 226 and Nawalparasi West with 222. Nuwakot has so far recorded 197 recovered bodies.

In other affected districts, 174 bodies were recovered from Rasuwa, 75 from Gorkha, 70 from Dhading and 38 from Tanahu.

Police said 102 bodies have so far been handed over to family members after the identification process was completed.

Security personnel have also safely kept 1,147 unidentified bodies underground in accordance with prescribed protocols. DNA samples have been collected as part of the process to help identify the victims and facilitate their eventual handover to relatives.

Floods devastated northern and central Nepal

The flash floods were triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26. The disaster caused widespread destruction across towns and villages in northern and central Nepal.

The Bhotekoshi River, which flows south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, causing extensive damage along its path. Homes and vehicles were swept away, while roads and bridges were destroyed or damaged. Several hydropower projects were also affected by the disaster.

Rescue teams have continued working in the affected areas as authorities deal with the large number of casualties and missing persons.

Deaths reported on Chinese side

The disaster also affected areas across the border in China. At least 43 people were killed on the Chinese side, while more than 500 people remain missing in Tibet, according to Chinese media reports.

With thousands of people still unaccounted for in Nepal, search and recovery operations remain underway. Authorities are also continuing the identification of recovered bodies through established procedures, including DNA sampling, as families await information about their missing relatives.

(With inputs from PTI)