Nepal flood death toll surges past 1,365 as rescue operations intensify

Nepal's death toll from catastrophic flash floods has climbed to 1,365, authorities confirmed on Wednesday, as rescue and recovery operations expanded across the worst-affected regions. According to a Nepal Police statement, the death toll reflects bodies recovered from eight districts, with Chitwan bearing the heaviest burden at 363 fatalities.

Search operations remain ongoing for 5,326 missing persons, including at least 589 foreign nationals unaccounted for since the disaster. The other heavily impacted districts include Nawalparasi East with 226 deaths, Nawalparasi West with 222, and Nuwakot with 197. Additional casualties were recorded in Rasuwa (174), Gorkha (75), Dhading (70), and Tanahu (38).

Identification efforts have progressed slowly due to the scale of casualties. Police reported that 102 bodies have been handed over to families after formal identification procedures were completed. Security personnel have meanwhile preserved 1,147 unidentified bodies in secure underground facilities, adhering to prescribed protocols including DNA sample collection to enable later identification.

The catastrophe was triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, which unleashed torrential flooding that devastated communities across multiple districts. The disaster has emerged as one of the most significant natural calamities to affect Nepal in recent years.