Nepal flood search continues as 6,000 remain missing nearly four weeks later
Search operations continued in Nepal on Sunday for around 6,000 people who are still unaccounted for nearly four weeks after flash floods killed more than 1,400 people. The floods, which began near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal.
The disaster also affected China, where 43 people were killed and more than 500 remain missing, according to Chinese media. In Nepal, recovery efforts are continuing even as authorities deal with damaged roads, bridges and hydropower projects, and with the difficult task of identifying bodies recovered from floodwaters and debris.
The Bhotekoshi River, which flows south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, sweeping away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects. Search operations have continued across river stretches, debris fields and damaged hydropower sites in Rasuwa and neighbouring districts.
At the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project in Rasuwa, rescuers have recovered 17 bodies from a tunnel. The Nepali Army said the bodies were found trapped in reinforcement mesh and buried in mud. Rescuers used grinders, gas cutters and rotary equipment to retrieve them. Earlier this month, a Nepal Army field commander said clearing material from some affected tunnels could take three to four months because of the volume and condition of the debris.
The floods have also left large parts of the affected region struggling with damaged roads and bridges. The government has begun repairing suspension bridges along the Trishuli corridor after the August 26 floods destroyed or damaged crossings linking communities in Nuwakot and Dhading. According to a report in The Kathmandu Post, repair work has started on 12 suspension bridges, while another 33 have been damaged beyond repair and will need to be rebuilt. The government aims to reopen the 12 bridges by October 6 and has invited tenders for reconstruction of the other 33.
The damaged crossings have disrupted access to markets, schools, health facilities and other essential services. Residents in some areas have been forced to take longer routes or depend on temporary arrangements to cross the river.
Identifying the dead has emerged as a major challenge. Authorities said only around 110 of the recovered bodies have so far been identified and handed over to families. Officials said many bodies swept downstream were severely damaged, decomposed or recovered only in parts, making identification through faces, clothing or personal belongings difficult. Forensic experts said DNA testing has become crucial, but the process is time-consuming as it requires samples from the remains and biological relatives for comparison. So far, nearly 1,300 bodies have been temporarily buried after DNA samples were collected, underlining the scale of the disaster and the challenges that remain in the response.
