Death toll climbs to 1,453 as Nepal flood victims remain missing

Flash floods that originated near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26 have caused catastrophic damage in the country's northern and central regions, killing at least 1,453 people and leaving 5,285 missing, according to one outlet Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. Authorities have recovered 1,451 bodies and two additional victims died while receiving medical care. Rescue teams have evacuated 13,795 individuals, of whom 1,113 are currently housed in 21 holding centres in Nuwakot, Rasuwa and Dhading.

The Bhotekoshi River swept away homes, roads, bridges and hydropower facilities, while similar floods killed 43 people in Tibet, with over 500 still missing. Medical services have treated around 11,000 flood victims, and seven remain hospitalized. Identification of the dead is hampered by severe damage to remains, prompting Nepal Police to rely on DNA testing, having collected 1,329 samples from bodies and 2,060 from relatives. Unidentified remains are being buried after proper procedures while DNA samples are stored for future matching.