Nepal flash flood toll hits 724 as search continues for 2,500 missing

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported the grim toll as recovery teams fanned across all eight affected districts, racing to locate survivors and retrieve bodies from the disaster zone. The death toll has mounted steadily since Wednesday's ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, which unleashed a massive torrent of water, mud and debris through central Nepal's river valleys.

The hardest-hit district of Chitwan accounted for 259 confirmed deaths, followed by Nawalparasi East with 184 fatalities. Authorities also reported 82 deaths in Nawalparasi West, 58 in Gorkha, 52 in Nuwakot, 50 in Dhading, and 36 in Tanahu district. The remaining deaths were recorded in adjacent areas.

The unprecedented glacial collapse and subsequent flash floods obliterated entire towns and villages in their path, while destroying critical infrastructure including multiple hydropower stations that dot the region's river systems. The disaster has exposed the vulnerability of communities in Nepal's mountainous terrain to climate-driven natural hazards.

Rescue teams have expanded their search operations across the affected region, utilising boats, excavators and manual labour to navigate the debris-strewn landscape. Officials warned that the search could extend for days as recovery efforts continue in terrain made treacherous by landslides and unstable ground conditions.