Nepal Floods: Death Toll Rises to 1,344 as Rescue Efforts Continue; Around 5,000 Missing

PTI, September 5, 2026, Kathmandu: The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal surged to 1,344 on Saturday as more bodies were recovered from the eight affected districts, officials said.

Rescue teams continued to search for around 5,000 people, including at least 589 foreign nationals, who remain missing, while more than 13,000 people have been rescued, officials said.

Among those rescued on Saturday was a 60-year-old woman who was pulled out alive from the upper floor of a four-storey house, buried under mud and debris, in Nuwakot district's Bidur town. She was trapped there for 10 days. The woman, Chandika Shrestha, was found unconscious by an Armed Police Force team, and flown to the Nepali Army's Maithili Barracks in Trishuli for treatment.

Of the total bodies recovered in Nepal's eight districts so far, 758 were adults, 85 were children and 501 were recovered with body parts missing, officials said, attributing the condition of the bodies to prolonged exposure to water and the weight of debris.

As many as 360 bodies were recovered in Chitwan district alone, the highest among all districts, followed by 230 in Nawalparasi West and 222 in Nawalparasi East. The rest were from Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Gorkha, Dhading and Tanahun districts, according to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).

As many as 1,030 bodies were temporarily buried after required procedures, including DNA collection, were completed.

Only 96 bodies have been handed over to families so far after identification, according to NDRRMA. Identifying the dead has emerged as a major challenge. Bodies recovered after being swept downstream have often been severely damaged, decomposed or recovered only in parts, making identification by face, clothing or personal belongings difficult, officials said.

Prolonged immersion in water and exposure to mud and debris can destroy identifiable features, while some remains have been fragmented or mixed with other remains. Forensic experts say DNA testing has therefore become crucial, but it is a time-consuming process requiring samples from the remains and biological relatives for comparison.

Fingerprints and dental records can also establish identities, but their usefulness depends on the condition of the remains and the availability of matching records, said officials.

Major rescue operations are underway at hydropower projects in flood-affected districts, where hundreds of men are believed to be trapped in tunnels.

Teams of experts from India and China are assisting their Nepalese counterparts in the operations. Since Friday, three people have been rescued from tunnels. Two Nepalese men were rescued from the Trishuli 3A hydropower project on Friday, and a Chinese man was rescued from the Upper Trishuli I project on Saturday.

Also, an Indian tunnel rescue team, who are continuing to work alongside the Nepalese Army, has made a temporary track inside the Chilime tunnel in Rasuwa district to allow more heavy equipment to reach the affected areas, authorities said on Saturday.