Nepal floods: Death toll crosses 1,450, search continues for 6,000 missing

Search operations for around 6,000 missing people continued in Nepal on Sunday, four weeks after devastating flash floods killed at least 1,451 people, according to Nepal Police.

The August 26 floods originated near the Nepal-Tibet border and swept through northern and central parts of the Himalayan country. The Bhotekoshi River carried floodwaters downstream, destroying homes, buildings, vehicles, roads and bridges within minutes.

Chitwan recorded the highest number of recovered bodies at 367, followed by Rasuwa with 236, Nawalparasi East with 232 and Nawalparasi West with 222. Authorities also recovered 203 bodies from Nuwakot, 79 from Gorkha, 72 from Dhading and 38 from Tanahu. Two people died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kathmandu.

Search teams continue to comb river stretches, debris fields and damaged hydropower projects in Rasuwa and neighbouring districts. At the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project in Rasuwa, rescuers have recovered 17 bodies trapped in reinforcement mesh and buried under mud. Grinders, gas cutters and rotary equipment have been used during the recovery operations.

A Nepal Army field commander said earlier this month that clearing some tunnels could take three to four months because of the volume of debris inside them.

Identifying the recovered bodies has also proved difficult because many were decomposed, damaged or recovered only in parts. Nearly 1,300 bodies have been temporarily buried after DNA samples were collected. Only 110 recovered bodies have so far been identified and handed over to families.

The floods also caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including hydropower projects, roads and bridges. The government has begun repairing suspension bridges along the Trishuli corridor after crossings connecting communities in Nuwakot and Dhading were destroyed or damaged.

Residents in affected areas continue to face difficulties accessing markets, schools, healthcare facilities and other essential services.