Nepal flash flood death toll rises to 1,385 as over 5,000 remain missing
The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal rose to 1,385 on Friday as rescue teams recovered more bodies from the affected districts, while more than 5,000 people remain missing.
The floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, caused widespread destruction across northern and central Nepal, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 364 bodies have been recovered from Chitwan, 228 from Nawalparasi East, 222 from Nawalparasi West, 199 from Nuwakot, 185 from Rasuwa, 77 from Gorkha, 70 from Dhading and 38 from Tanahu.
Two other victims died while undergoing treatment in Kathmandu.
Search and rescue operations are continuing under a joint command of security personnel. The number of people still missing has been estimated at 5,130, while 13,676 people have so far been rescued from different affected areas.
The disaster has also affected Nepalese nationals who were working in China. At least 703 people stranded there have returned to Nepal through the Tatopani border point in Sindhupalchok, Rising Nepal reported.
The returnees had been living in China for work and travelled home through Keyrung and Tatopani after the floods caused extensive damage and loss of life in Keyrung and Rasuwa. Of the 703 returnees, 498 were men and 205 were women, according to the Sindhupalchok District Administration Office.
The Bhotekoshi River, flowing south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, causing extensive damage in Nepal.
The disaster also caused deaths and destruction on the Chinese side of the border. At least 43 people were killed, while more than 500 remain missing in Tibet, according to Chinese media reports.
Rescue teams continue to search affected areas as authorities assess the scale of the destruction and work to locate those still unaccounted for.