Devastating Nepal Flash Floods: Death Toll Rises, Thousands Still Missing

Kathmandu – The picture that’s emerging from the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli valleys is heartbreaking. In just a few days, the raging waters have taken 1,344 lives, according to the latest Nepal Police figures released early Saturday.

What makes the tragedy even more chilling is the sheer number of people still missing – 4,886 souls, including 606 foreigners, who vanished when the rivers burst their banks. Many of them are thought to be trapped inside the tunnels of 11 hydro‑electric projects that line the two river corridors.

Rescuers have already pulled two survivors out of the 60 MW Upper Trishuli 3A tunnel in Rasuwa district, a small ray of hope amid the gloom. But the scale of the operation is massive: the police say 8,962 individuals have been rescued so far, among them 1,552 visitors from abroad.

Authorities are working around the clock on three fronts – searching for the missing, recovering bodies, and delivering relief. DNA sampling is under way; so far, 1,260 samples have been taken from the deceased and 1,012 from their relatives, totalling 2,272 specimens to help with identification.

Nearly 8,000 police officers have been deployed for the rescue and relief effort, while 65 of their own have been injured and another 25 are still missing. The floods have also ripped through homes, roads, and bridges, leaving a trail of destruction that will take months, if not years, to repair.

In the meantime, the Nepalese government is reaching out for international assistance, hoping that foreign partners will help rebuild the shattered infrastructure once the immediate emergency passes.

Families are left in a painful limbo, clinging to the faint hope that their loved ones might still be alive somewhere beneath the debris. The nation mourns, the world watches, and the search continues.