Nepal Floods: Death Toll Rises to 1,344, Nearly 4,900 Missing
Kathmandu, September 5, 2026: The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 1,344, with more bodies recovered from several affected districts, police said on Saturday.
Rescue teams are continuing search operations for 4,898 people who remain missing following the disaster.
Of the bodies recovered so far, 758 were adults and 85 were children, while 501 were recovered with body parts missing. Officials attributed the condition of the remains to prolonged exposure to water and heavy debris.
Flash Floods Devastated Northern and Central Nepal
The disaster was triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26. The resulting floods devastated towns and villages across northern and central Nepal.
The Bhotekoshi River, flowing south from the Himalayan border region, carried floodwaters downstream, destroying homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.
The disaster also reportedly killed at least 21 people on the Chinese side, while more than 500 people remain missing in Tibet, according to Chinese media reports.
Chitwan Reports Highest Number of Recovered Bodies
Around 360 bodies have been recovered in Chitwan district, the highest among the affected districts.
Bodies have also been recovered from Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Tanahun, Nawalparasi East and Nawalparasi West.
Authorities said 1,030 bodies have been temporarily buried after required procedures, including DNA collection, were completed.
More Than 13,000 People Rescued
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said more than 13,000 people have been rescued so far.
The missing include more than 600 children in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, officials said.
Joint rescue teams led by the Nepal Army continued search and rescue operations for the eleventh day, while authorities monitored water levels in several major rivers, including the Koshi, Narayani, Bagmati, Karnali and Mahakali.
Hydropower Projects Remain a Major Rescue Challenge
Major rescue operations are also underway at hydropower projects in flood-hit areas, where hundreds of workers are believed to be trapped inside tunnels.
Experts from India and China are assisting Nepali teams in the rescue efforts.
On Friday, two men were rescued alive from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project. They were identified as 45-year-old mechanical supervisor Kabir Maharjan and 30-year-old foreman Sanjay Sah, according to the Nepal Army's Public Relations Directorate.
Meanwhile, an Indian tunnel rescue team working alongside the Nepalese Army has created a temporary track inside the Chilime tunnel in Rasuwa to help transport heavy equipment into the affected area.
