New Delhi: The death toll from the flash floods in Nepal has climbed to 547, while China has reported at least five deaths from the same disaster, taking the combined toll to 552. More than 1,500 people remain missing across Nepal and neighbouring Tibet, as rescue teams continue searching areas hit by the flow of water, ice, rock and debris.
As reported earlier, the floods struck northern Nepal on August 26 after a glacial collapse triggered a sudden surge through the river system near the Nepal-China border. The flooding swept through settlements around Rasuwa before moving downstream along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, causing extensive damage to homes, roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
Nepal’s latest death toll of 547 is the highest reported so far in the disaster. The number has continued to rise as bodies are recovered from districts well away from the original flood-hit area. Search teams are working across several downstream districts, including Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan and Nawalparasi.
The scale of the recovery operation has also created a new challenge for authorities. With large numbers of bodies being recovered downstream, hospitals and existing morgues in several districts have struggled to accommodate them.
As reported by the Kathmandu post, in Chitwan, one of the worst-affected areas, authorities have begun preparing temporary facilities to store recovered bodies. Bodies have also been moved to other cities, including Pokhara, where existing morgue capacity has been stretched.
Authorities are using photographs, fingerprints, postmortem examinations and DNA testing to identify the dead. DNA samples are being sent to Kathmandu for forensic examination, while officials are preparing procedures for unidentified remains that cannot be immediately matched with missing persons, as reported.
The number of people still unaccounted for remains particularly high. Nepal’s disaster management authorities have put the missing figure at 977, while China has separately reported hundreds of people missing on the Tibetan side. Together, the two countries have reported more than 1,500 missing people.
The missing include local residents, security personnel, tourists, trekkers and foreign nationals who were travelling through the affected areas when the floods struck.
Foreign tourists and Indians among those missing
The Nepal Tourism Board has reported that 117 foreign tourists were rescued from flood-hit parts of Rasuwa, including 85 Indians, 16 Chinese, nine South Koreans, two Americans and two Italians. The nationalities of three others were still being established.
Indian nationals remain a major focus of the ongoing search. According to the latest update from the Ministry of External Affairs, 320 Indian nationals remain uncontactable, while around 100 people of Indian origin holding other nationalities are also uncontactable.
The MEA has said 21 Tamil Nadu pilgrims rescued from the affected region have returned to Delhi. Another 63 Indian nationals working at the Trishuli I hydropower project were rescued, while 96 Indians who had been stranded on the Chinese side safely crossed into Nepal by land.
Fresh flood threat under watch
The rescue effort is continuing amid concerns over another possible surge in the Bhote Koshi river system. A barrier lake formed on the Chinese side after debris blocked a river, prompting authorities to monitor water levels and prepare for possible evacuation.
Chinese authorities had warned that additional water could enter the blocked system, while Nepalese officials have said they were assessing the situation and had not confirmed a major dam collapse.
More than 14,000 security personnel have been mobilized for search and rescue operations, with helicopters being used to reach isolated areas and evacuate survivors. Around 3,742 people have been rescued so far, officials said.
India has also continued its relief effort, with a third military aircraft carrying additional supplies expected to arrive in Nepal. The US has announced $500,000 in assistance and offered further disaster-response support.
Three days into the disaster, and authorities are still searching for survivors, recovering bodies and trying to establish the whereabouts of those missing.