Kathmandu, Sept. 4 -- Approximately 600 students remain unaccounted for in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts after the August 26 Bhotekoshi flooding. The catastrophic mid-morning flood tore through settlements and educational institutions, forcing authorities to completely suspend academic operations across five local units.

According to figures compiled by local Education Development and Coordination Units (EDCUs), local governments, and educational institutions, an estimated 280 children are missing in Rasuwa, while between 300 and 350 others remain unaccounted for in neighbouring Nuwakot.

"We are actively liaising with headmasters to collect verified data on missing students, though school heads are struggling to provide exact figures due...