Nepal Flood Death Toll Rises To 1,355, Nearly 5,000 Missing

Kathmandu, Sept 7: The death toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal rose to 1,355 on Monday as rescue teams continued recovering bodies from affected areas, while nearly 5,000 people remained missing, authorities said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said 4,996 people, including at least 589 foreign nationals, were still missing. A total of 13,396 people have been rescued so far, it said.

According to NDRRMA, 363 bodies have been recovered from Chitwan district, 221 from Nawalparasi West, 222 from Nawalparasi East and 197 from Nuwakot.

Another 169 bodies were recovered from Rasuwa, 75 from Gorkha, 70 from Dhading and 38 from Tanahu, the authority said.

The joint command of Nepal’s security forces continued search and rescue operations across the affected areas.

Major rescue efforts are also underway at hydropower projects in flood-hit districts, where hundreds of workers are believed to be trapped inside tunnels. Teams of experts from India and China are assisting Nepali authorities in the rescue operations.

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

The Bhotekoshi River, flowing south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging several hydropower projects.

The disaster also claimed at least 21 lives on the Chinese side, while more than 500 people remain missing in Tibet, according to Chinese media reports. (Agencies)