Nepal flood toll reaches 1,356 as searches continue for 5,000 missing

Newdelhi,UPDATED: Sep 7, 2026 20:22 IST

Nepal is grappling with the aftermath of devastating flash floods, with the death toll rising to 1,356 on Monday as more bodies were recovered and rescue teams continued searches for nearly 5,000 missing people. The disaster has led to a national day of mourning, renewed calls for climate justice, and urgent steps to prevent a wider economic hit, including to tourism.

As the response widened, the country also faced the human impact of the floods in overcrowded shelters and shattered communities, while police warned people against keeping or selling valuables found in the aftermath. Elsewhere in the region, Bangladesh and India are expected to discuss restarting suspended cross-border passenger train services, while Sri Lankan authorities said remanded opposition leader Namal Rajapaksa is being held under regular prison routines with some special arrangements.

Authorities in Kathmandu said the toll from the flash floods rose sharply on Monday as more bodies were recovered from affected areas. Nepal also observed a national day of mourning on the 13th day of the Rasuwa flash flood disaster, honouring more than 1,340 people killed in one of the country's deadliest natural disasters in recent history.

President Ramchandra Paudel on Monday appealed to the international community to take concrete action to ensure "climate justice" for Nepal and other countries facing the brunt of climate change. His appeal came as the Himalayan nation continued rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit areas.

Australian tunnel expert Arnold Dix, who helped rescue 41 workers from India's Silkyara tunnel in 2023, said his experience there was guiding him in Nepal as a complex search-and-rescue mission continued. He said the effort had taught him "never to confuse unlikely with impossible".

Nepal has also stepped up efforts to reassure international visitors that the country remains open for travel, amid concerns that the Bhotekoshi flash floods could disrupt the crucial autumn tourism season and undo the sector's fragile recovery.

The suffering in shelters has underlined the scale of the disaster. Sharmila Shrestha, who lost her home and was separated from her baby for days, was reunited with the child at a crowded shelter but could do little as her toddler ate the same food as adults because there was nothing else. In Rasuwa district, 16-year-old Sameer Tamang recalled the moment the Bhotekoshi River became a force of destruction, saying, "In a single moment, the disaster took away my sisters."

Nepal Police has urged people not to keep, sell or distribute gold, silver, cash and other valuables found after the August 26 floods, and asked them to hand over any such items to the nearest police office.

In Dhaka, officials said Bangladesh and India are expected to discuss this week the resumption of cross-border passenger train services that have remained suspended since the violent unrest in 2024 that toppled prime minister Sheikh Hasina's government.

In Colombo, a prison official said Namal Rajapaksa, the elder son of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, is being kept under regular prison routines with some special arrangements after being remanded last week.

Monday's developments captured both the scale of Nepal's flood disaster and the broader regional picture, with the country mourning its dead, searching for the missing, helping survivors and trying to protect livelihoods, while neighbouring countries handled separate transport and political developments.

With PTI Inputs

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