Kathmandu, Aug 31: Nepal’s flood disaster has claimed at least 903 lives, while 4,247 people, including hundreds of foreign nationals, remain out of contact as rescue agencies continue extensive search operations across affected regions, according to the latest official figures released on Monday.
Data issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) showed that the number of bodies recovered has risen to 903. Chitwan district has recorded the highest number of recoveries, with 272 bodies found along riverbanks, posing a significant challenge for local authorities handling the aftermath of the disaster.
Officials in Chitwan buried most of the recovered bodies at Devghat, where the Kali Gandaki and Trishuli rivers meet, to prevent potential public health risks. Before the burials, authorities collected DNA samples from the bodies to support future identification, the District Administration Office in Chitwan said.
The NDRRMA stated that several unidentified bodies remain at 21 hospitals in different districts and appealed to relatives of missing persons to verify official records to assist the identification process.
The authority reported that 4,247 people continue to be out of contact, including 592 foreign nationals. Among those unaccounted for are 933 people employed at hydropower projects along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors. Rescue efforts are continuing for people believed to be trapped inside tunnels at multiple hydropower sites with technical assistance from Indian and Chinese teams.
The disaster has also left personnel from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and other government departments out of contact after flooding struck areas along the Nepal-China border.
According to the latest official update, 267 people have sustained injuries in the disaster. Of them, 156 have been discharged after receiving treatment.
Rescue agencies have so far evacuated 10,451 people from affected areas. The total includes 252 foreign nationals and 3,344 Nepali citizens rescued through aerial operations carried out by the Nepal Army.
The NDRRMA said search, rescue and relief operations remain underway with 20,819 security personnel deployed across the affected regions. The mobilisation includes 8,722 Nepal Army personnel, 7,894 Nepal Police personnel and 4,203 members of the Armed Police Force as authorities continue efforts to trace missing people, recover bodies and provide assistance to affected communities.
The latest figures underline the scale of one of Nepal’s deadliest flood disasters, with recovery, identification and rescue operations continuing simultaneously in several districts as authorities work to account for those still missing.
