Nepal Floods: Death Toll Rises to 939, Nearly 4,000 Missing
The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 939, with 3,925 people still missing, including 590 foreigners from 39 countries and 83 security personnel. More than 10,000 people have been rescued so far, according to official updates as of Monday night (August 31).
The government has deployed over 21,000 security personnel, but intermittent rain, swollen rivers, and damaged roads and bridges continue to hamper search operations.
The floods were triggered by an ice-and-rock collapse or avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, sweeping through northern and central Nepal, destroying homes, roads, bridges, and hydropower projects. Scientists studying satellite imagery said the collapse appears to have been caused by the failure of bedrock beneath a glacier, and the resulting torrent rapidly swelled rivers, carrying mud and rocks downstream.
Rescuers are searching for 639 workers and employees at flood-hit hydropower sites, many believed to be trapped inside tunnels. A controlled blast was carried out at one site to clear access, with specialised teams from India and China assisting.
India has stepped up its response, with 158 Indian nationals rescued so far, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. A 19-member Indian forensic team is assisting Nepalese authorities with DNA analysis and identification of recovered remains, while an Indian tunnel rescue team is working alongside the Nepal Army at the Chilime and Langtang hydropower sites.
The MEA had earlier said more than 275 Indians and 128 persons of Indian origin remained missing or non-contactable in Nepal. In a specific case, three of six workers from Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar who went missing while working at a hydropower project in Rasuwa have returned, while three remain untraced.
Across the border in Tibet, authorities reported 16 lives lost and nearly 550 missing as of Sunday, August 30. Nepal has also sought international assistance, including DNA testing kits, freezers, LiDAR equipment, high-capacity drones, and specialised tunnel-rescue equipment, as the focus shifts towards recovery and identification.
Nepal's disaster agency said on Tuesday that 3,916 people remain missing, including 583 foreigners, with at least 11,814 people rescued so far. The death toll in Nepal stands at 987, with 16 in China, crossing the 1,000 mark.
Among those safely evacuated were 39 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims from Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, who returned to India after being diverted from their original route because of the floods. The pilgrims had crossed into China before the disaster and escaped the worst of the flooding. Their return journey was rerouted with assistance from Chinese, Nepalese, Tamil Nadu, and Indian authorities. One pilgrim described the harrowing experience, saying they lost everything and were deeply affected by the ordeal.
Nepal has issued a fresh flood alert as water levels rise across several districts, and India's external affairs ministry has issued helpline numbers for Indian nationals stuck in Nepal.
The Indian Embassy has also issued procedures for families to identify mortal remains, including using photographs and descriptions published by Nepal Police, with DNA matching required where remains cannot be identified visually. Nepal has temporarily interred remains to prevent health risks.