Kathmandu: The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal crossed 1,400 on Wednesday, with more bodies recovered in the flood-affected districts, while rescuers continued their search for more than 6,000 people who remain missing, officials said.
According to a bulletin issued by the Nepal Police, the death toll has surged to 1,404.
While more than 13,700 people have been rescued so far, around 6,150 remain missing, officials said.
Flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal.
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.
The floods also killed 43 people on the Chinese side, where more than 500 remain missing, according to Chinese media.
In Nepal, 364 bodies were recovered in Chitwan district alone, the highest among all districts, followed by 232 in Nawalparasi East and 222 in Nawalparasi West. The rest were from Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Gorkha, Dhading and Tanahun districts, officials said.
Identifying the dead has emerged as a major challenge. Of the total bodies recovered, only 104 have been handed over to families so far after identification, authorities said.
Bodies recovered after being swept downstream have often been severely damaged, decomposed or recovered only in parts, making identification by face, clothing or personal belongings difficult, officials said.
Prolonged immersion in water and exposure to mud and debris can destroy identifiable features, while some remains have been fragmented or mixed with other remains. Forensic experts say DNA testing has therefore become crucial, but it is a time-consuming process requiring samples from the remains and biological relatives for comparison.
Search teams have been deployed at several hydropower projects in the flood-hit Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, where large numbers of workers remain unaccounted for. The operations involve the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, project personnel and foreign technicians.
The mortal remains of five persons were recovered from the Chilime hydropower project’s tunnel in Nepal on Wednesday after Indian and Nepali rescue teams reached the powerhouse following several days of clearing slush and mud, India’s Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava said. He added that the teams were unable to find any survivors.
