Nepal floods: Search for 5,000 missing continues 11 days after disaster

Kathmandu,UPDATED: Sep 6, 2026 13:02 IST

Rescue teams in Nepal continued to search for nearly 5,000 missing people on Sunday, 11 days after devastating floods hit large parts of the country, even as authorities struggled to identify many of the dead. Nepal Police said the death toll had risen to 1,344, while more than 13,100 people had been rescued.

The disaster was triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, which sent a huge surge of water and debris down the Bhotekoshi River and devastated settlements in northern and central Nepal. Homes, vehicles, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure were swept away. On the Chinese side, at least 21 people were killed and more than 500 remained missing in Tibet, according to Chinese media reports.

Officials said identifying the dead had become a major challenge. Of the bodies recovered in Nepal, at least 85 were children, while around 500 were recovered with body parts missing. Many bodies were found after being swept far downstream and were severely damaged, decomposed or recovered only in parts, making identification difficult. Police said bodies that had remained in water and mud had been especially hard to identify.

According to Nepal's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Chitwan district recorded the highest number of recovered bodies at 362. Other affected districts included Nawalparasi East, Nawalparasi West, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Gorkha, Dhading and Tanahun. Only 98 bodies had so far been identified and handed over to their families. Nepal Police has started collecting DNA samples from relatives of missing people to help identify unclaimed bodies and human remains recovered after the floods. Relatives in Nepal can give samples at the Nepal Police Hospital in Kathmandu or at their nearest district police office.

Meanwhile, a fresh flood in Gorkha district early Sunday swept away four houses and a suspension bridge, though no casualties were reported. Police said the flood took place in Chumnubri Rural Municipality-4 after the Namrung Khola overflowed. The houses were washed away after residents noticed the flood approaching and fled to safety. Authorities said the river may have been temporarily blocked near its source before releasing a surge of mud and debris downstream. The Namrung Khola flows into the Budhigandaki River, and residents along the Budhigandaki have been asked to remain alert. Local media reports said two small hydropower projects in the wider Namrung area were also damaged, while movement was affected after the suspension bridge was swept away.

With the death toll at 1,344, thousands still missing and identification of the dead proving difficult, the flood disaster has continued to test rescue and recovery efforts across Nepal, while fresh flooding in Gorkha has added to the concerns.

With PTI Inputs

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