‘The river has taken everything’: Nepal flood survivors return to ruins as death toll nears 800

Devastation in Nepal's Himalayan Valleys

Four days after a glacial collapse triggered catastrophic flooding in Nepal, the death toll has climbed to nearly 800, with more than 2,500 people still missing, according to official figures reported by The Hindu. The disaster struck on Wednesday, August 26, when a glacial collapse near the Nepal-China border in Rasuwa district unleashed a surge of water, mud, and debris through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems. The Guardian reported that by Sunday the combined death toll in Nepal and Tibet stood at 797, with more than 3,000 people still unaccounted for across both sides of the border.

In Chitwan, about 100 miles downstream from the worst-hit region, more than 250 bodies have washed up along the riverbanks, The Guardian reported. The bodies are so disfigured that only nine have been successfully identified, the outlet said. The Hindu reported that mass burials of unidentified bodies began in Chitwan on Saturday, August 29, after DNA samples were collected. Madan Lama, an information officer at the District Administration Office in Chitwan, said around 170 bodies had been buried since Saturday, including 96 on the first day. The Guardian detailed the process: DNA samples taken from each body before it was tagged, wrapped in plastic, and placed in a shallow grave, in hopes that loved ones could later identify the remains and retrieve them for proper funeral rites.

Authorities Overwhelmed by Task of Identification

With morgues across Nepal overflowing, authorities are struggling to preserve and identify the dead, many of whom were found miles from home and beyond recognition, The Guardian reported. Nepal's Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said the country urgently required freezer units and DNA-testing kits, warning that bodies must be preserved and identified quickly to prevent decomposition and contain public-health risks, according to The Hindu. Rai said the government was 'putting all our resources at disposal in relief and rescue operations' and that Nepal had requested more than 1,000 freezer units, as reported by The Guardian. He noted that airtight bags for storing bodies had started to arrive and other equipment was expected soon, The Hindu reported.

An Indian forensic team specialising in DNA testing and analysis has arrived to support health officials in collecting samples, The Hindu reported. In a bid to speed up identification, local officials are asking relatives to review photographs of the recovered bodies, looking for identifying features such as necklaces, wedding rings, tattoos, or scars, The Guardian reported. Photos have been compiled into slideshows and uploaded to the Nepal police website, the outlet said.

Rescue Efforts at Hydropower Sites

More than 900 workers are missing from hydropower sites, and officials believe around 100 people trapped inside tunnels are alive, The Hindu reported. Rai said experts from India, China, and South Korea have joined the Nepal Army's efforts to rescue these workers. The Nepal Army said that after floodwaters receded, its rescue teams resumed efforts to locate tunnel entrances using drilling machines, excavators, hydraulic cutters, and other heavy equipment, according to The Hindu.

International Toll and Missing Nationals

India's External Affairs Ministry said on Saturday that more than 275 Indians and 128 persons of Indian origin remained missing, The Hindu reported. On Sunday, the ministry shared a list of 149 rescued people, the outlet said. The Nepal Tourism Board reported that 591 foreign nationals remain missing and 289 have been rescued, including 180 Indians and 89 Chinese, according to The Hindu. Chinese authorities have reported 16 deaths and 546 people unaccounted for on the Tibetan side, the outlet reported, adding that it remains unclear whether some of those missing on the Chinese side are Nepali citizens. Rai said China has provided a list of missing persons that will be updated, The Hindu reported.

Warnings of Fresh Flooding

Authorities warned of possible fresh flooding and urged residents to remain on high alert as water levels rose in the Bhotekoshi River, The Hindu reported. Prakash Pokharel, a geologist and researcher at the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority, said flood warnings had been sent to people's phones, the outlet said. The immediate risk eased after rain receded and a barrier lake that had formed in Gyirong county in Tibet fully drained, according to The Hindu.

Personal Loss Along the Trishuli

In Devighat, at the confluence of the Trishuli River, police search and rescue teams prepared to pull another victim from the muddy ruins of a house on Sunday afternoon, The Guardian reported. Amabadutta Bhatta, a police superintendent, said: 'We have retrieved 10 bodies from here so far, maybe there will be more.' Rescuers urged people to move to higher ground quickly as the river swelled dangerously, the outlet said.

The Guardian quoted Usha Nepali, 49, weeping for the home where she had raised her four children and then her three grandchildren. 'The river has taken everything,' she said. The floodwaters left thick, tar-like mud that engulfed everything, the outlet reported, and residents have returned to salvage belongings from their damaged homes. As rescue and recovery efforts continue, the full scale of the disaster remains unclear, with officials on both sides of the border still counting the missing.