Nepal flood toll rises to 903 as search for 4,247 continues

The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal rose to 903 on Monday, with authorities continuing to recover bodies from the affected districts while rescue teams intensified their search for more than 4,200 people still missing.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said bodies had been recovered from all eight districts hit by the disaster as rescuers entered the sixth day of search-and-recovery operations.

According to the latest figures released by the authority, 272 bodies have been recovered from Chitwan, the highest number among the affected districts. Nawalparasi East reported 207 deaths, while Nawalparasi West accounted for 151 bodies. Another 62 bodies were recovered from Gorkha, the NDRRMA said.

In other affected districts, 95 bodies have been recovered from Nuwakot, 55 from Dhading, 37 from Tanahu and 24 from Rasuwa.

The figures from the eight districts add up to the overall death toll of 903 reported by the NDRRMA.

The disaster, which struck on August 26, devastated several towns and villages in northern and central Nepal, leaving a trail of destruction and cutting off communities in several areas.

Authorities believe the flash floods may have been triggered by a collapse or avalanche involving ice and rock near the Nepal-Tibet border. The sudden surge of water and debris caused extensive damage in downstream areas and swept away people, homes and infrastructure.

The scale of the disaster has posed a major challenge for rescue agencies, with teams having to work through difficult terrain and hazardous conditions to reach affected communities. Rescuers are continuing to search riverbanks, debris-filled areas and other locations where people may have been swept away or stranded.

The NDRRMA said 4,247 people remain missing, including 85 security personnel and 320 foreign nationals.

The authorities have stepped up efforts to locate those still unaccounted for, while recovery teams continue to retrieve bodies from areas affected by the floods. Officials have also been coordinating rescue and relief operations to assist people stranded or displaced by the disaster.

With hundreds of people still missing nearly a week after the floods, rescue teams are racing against time to find possible survivors and recover those who may have been swept away by the powerful floodwaters.

The disaster has once again highlighted Nepal's vulnerability to sudden floods and landslides, particularly in mountainous and riverine areas where difficult terrain can make emergency response and evacuation operations especially challenging.