Kathmandu, Sep 1: Nepal’s death toll from the catastrophic flash floods has crossed the 1,000 mark, with the latest figures putting the number of fatalities at 1,010, while 3,916 people remain missing, as rescue teams race against time to reach survivors and locate those unaccounted for.
Around 12,000 people have been rescued, while more than 21,300 security personnel have been deployed for search-and-rescue operations across the affected areas.
The disaster began on August 26 after a glacial or ice-and-rock collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border sent massive quantities of water, ice, rock and debris into downstream areas. The Bhotekoshi River carried the floodwaters through northern and central Nepal, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging several hydropower projects.
More than 600 hydropower workers and employees remain unaccounted for, with many feared trapped inside tunnels at project sites. Rescue operations have been hampered by mud, debris, difficult terrain, damaged access routes and a shortage of specialised equipment and technical expertise.
Specialist teams from India and China are assisting Nepal’s rescue efforts. India’s specialised tunnel rescue team has made progress at two hydropower sites, establishing a foothold inside a tunnel at Chilime and probing up to 185 metres at Langtang, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava said. The team has been working with the Nepali Army despite difficult weather and access conditions.
The identification of victims has also emerged as a major challenge. Many bodies are badly decomposed or have been recovered only as partial remains after being swept downstream. Bodies have been kept at 21 hospitals, with only around 60 handed over to relatives after identification, while nearly 700 have been buried following documentation and preservation of identification records.
Meanwhile, authorities have issued fresh flood alerts across several districts in eastern, central and western Nepal. Nuwakot and Rasuwa face a high possibility of flash floods, while several other districts have also been warned about rising river levels and moderate flood risks.
Major rivers, including the Koshi, Narayani, Bagmati, Karnali and Mahakali, along with their tributaries, are being closely monitored. A real-time CCTV camera has also been installed at Timure in Rasuwa to monitor river conditions and strengthen the early-warning system.
The floods have caused extensive damage to Nepal’s transport infrastructure, washing away 19 motorable bridges and damaging highways and arterial roads. The country’s main land trade link with China and the Rasuwagadhi border crossing have also been affected.
Authorities have imposed one-way traffic rules on the Prithvi and Tribhuvan highways amid increased traffic pressure and damaged routes.
On the Tibetan side, Chinese media reports say 16 people have died and 546 remain missing following the disaster.
With thousands still unaccounted for and fresh flood warnings in place, Nepal continues to face a widening humanitarian and rescue emergency.
