Kathmandu, Aug. 30 -- The death toll from the devastating flash floods that struck Nepal on August 26 rose to 788 on Sunday, as rescue teams continued recovering bodies from flood-hit areas and authorities warned of a fresh rise in water levels in the Bhotekoshi River.
More than 2,500 people remain missing in Nepal, while nearly 9,500 people have been rescued from affected districts, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). Authorities have urged residents as well as rescue personnel to remain alert amid intermittent rainfall and the possibility of further flooding.
The disaster is believed to have been triggered by a collapse or avalanche of ice and rock near the Nepal-Tibet border. The resulting floodwaters moved downstream through the Bhotekoshi River, causing widespread destruction across towns and villages in northern and central Nepal. Homes, vehicles, roads and bridges were swept away, while several hydropower projects were damaged.
The disaster also affected neighbouring China, where 16 people were reported dead and 546 missing on the Chinese side. Chinese media reports said the missing included 261 foreigners from 23 countries, among them 49 Indians.
India has been among the countries most closely involved in the rescue and relief response. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said on Saturday that more than 275 Indians and 128 persons of Indian origin remained missing or non-contactable in Nepal. On Sunday, the ministry's X handle published a list of 149 Indians who had been rescued.
The Indian response has also expanded beyond evacuation and relief distribution. An 18-member team of forensic experts from India specialising in DNA analysis has arrived in Nepal to help authorities identify victims whose remains have been difficult to recognise.
Nepal's Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said on Sunday that the mortal remains of victims who could not be identified, including those that were unrecognisable, amputated or decomposed after prolonged exposure to water, had been buried according to "standard and accepted protocols".
"Medical teams have taken DNA samples from every victim prior to the burial so that families can match records later. They will be allowed to exhume for necessary rituals," Rai said.
The forensic team is working with Nepali authorities as the identification process continues.
Hospitals across Nepal have seen large crowds of relatives searching for missing family members. Photographs of missing people and recovered victims have been displayed outside hospitals, with families examining them in the hope of finding information. But identifying the dead has proved difficult. Police said only 17 of the bodies recovered so far have been identified. "Only 17 bodies have been identified so far as most of the bodies are either in a dilapidated state or amputated," said Rajendra Prasad Dhamala, spokesperson for the Bagmati Province Police Office.
Dhamala said 96 bodies had been buried after the required legal procedures were completed. DNA samples were collected before burial and preserved at designated locations, allowing families to seek identification later. Identified bodies are being handed over to relatives after verification.
India is also directly supporting search operations at damaged hydropower facilities. An 11-member Indian team has joined the Nepali Army in efforts to rescue workers believed to be trapped inside the Upper Trishuli-3A hydropower project tunnel in flood-hit Nuwakot.
Nepali Army engineers intensified operations on Sunday, using heavy equipment and blasting to widen an opening into the buried tunnel.
A total of 537 workers and employees remain unaccounted for at nine hydropower projects in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts. The Upper Trishuli-3A tunnel is among the sites where rescue operations are under way. "The tunnel rescue team from India worked with the Nepali Army's team to conduct search & rescue operations at hydropower tunnel sites in Chilime and Langtang area today. The team will continue to conduct search and rescue operations in close coordination with the Nepali Army," the Indian embassy in Nepal said in a social media post on Sunday.
India has also sent large quantities of relief supplies. The Indian embassy said 68.5 tonnes of relief material had been provided to Nepal, along with technical teams, forensic specialists and equipment for search and rescue operations.
"The fourth flight, carrying 11 tons of relief materials, has arrived in Nepal, and those relief materials have been handed over," the Indian mission said. The shipment included equipment for the tunnel rescue team, forensic equipment for DNA analysis, blankets, sleeping bags, tarpaulins, plastic sheets and hygiene kits. In addition, 37 trucks and 35 SUVs loaded with food supplies, along with eight helicopters carrying food and non-food relief material, have been sent to affected areas. The NDRRMA issued another warning on Sunday after water levels in the Bhotekoshi River rose again. "The water level in the flooded Bhotekoshi River has risen to some extent; all concerned are urged to take precautionary measures," the authority said. It added that further information would be provided after receiving additional updates on the situation.
Nepal's meteorology department had already warned on Saturday of fresh rainfall and thunderstorms in areas affected by the flash floods. Such weather could make search, rescue and relief operations more difficult.
Fears of another major flood had also emerged after a lake formed on the Chinese side following the August 26 glacier-related collapse. Chinese media reports said the size of the barrier lake began shrinking on Saturday, reducing the immediate threat. However, fresh reports on Sunday said a landslide near the natural dam had created another "dam lake", leading rescue personnel to evacuate the area. The floods have severely disrupted Nepal's transport network. Nineteen motorable bridges and several highways and arterial roads were washed away on August 26.
Transport services have also been suspended along the Prithvi Highway, a major route connecting Kathmandu with Pokhara and western Nepal. A section of the highway at Krishnabhir was washed away by the Trishuli River. Officials said restoration would take time and advised travellers to use alternative routes.
The power sector has suffered major losses as well. According to the Independent Power Producers' Association Nepal, eight operational hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 354 MW were damaged. Five additional projects under construction in Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts were also affected. The Nepalese government has deployed more than 20,000 security personnel for search and rescue operations. Helicopters have been making repeated sorties to evacuate stranded residents and tourists and to deliver essential supplies.
Nearly 9,500 people had been rescued by Sunday evening, including local residents and tourists from India, the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Malta, Turkiye, Switzerland and Portugal.
The preliminary data released by Nepal's education ministry also showed that those missing include 238 students and 18 teachers from schools in three flood-affected districts.
As search operations continue, survivors face the difficult task of rebuilding homes and livelihoods while many families remain separated from loved ones. Authorities are simultaneously working to recover and identify the dead, restore transport links and reach workers still believed to be trapped at damaged hydropower sites.
For India, the response has involved relief supplies, specialist rescue personnel, forensic support and technical assistance, with teams working alongside Nepalese authorities as the Himalayan nation continues to deal with the aftermath of one of its most destructive recent flood disasters.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.