Authorities recover 903 bodies as 4,247 people, including foreign nationals, remain out of contact…reports Asian Lite News Desk
The death toll from Nepal’s devastating floods has crossed the 900 mark, with authorities continuing to recover bodies along riverbanks across several affected districts, while more than 4,200 people remain out of contact.
According to the latest update issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Monday, a total of 903 bodies have been recovered so far.
Southern Chitwan district has recorded the highest number of recoveries, with 272 bodies retrieved, creating a major challenge for local authorities handling and identifying the remains.
Authorities in Chitwan have buried most of the recovered bodies at Devghat, located at the confluence of the Kali Gandaki and Trishuli rivers, amid concerns that the remains could pose a public health risk.
Before the burials, officials collected DNA samples from the bodies to enable their identification at a later stage, according to the District Administration Office in Chitwan.
The NDRRMA said several other unidentified bodies are being kept at 21 hospitals across different districts and appealed to relatives of missing persons to check official records to help establish their identities.
The disaster has left 4,247 people out of contact, including 592 foreign nationals, the authority said.
Among those missing are 933 workers employed at various hydropower projects along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors. Rescue operations are continuing to reach people believed to be trapped inside tunnels at several hydropower facilities, with Indian and Chinese technical teams assisting Nepali authorities.
Personnel from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, along with other government employees deployed in areas along the Nepal-China border, also remain out of contact following the disaster.
The floods have injured at least 267 people, of whom 156 have been discharged after receiving treatment.
Authorities said a total of 10,451 people have been rescued so far, including 252 foreign nationals. The Nepal Army has carried out aerial rescue operations, evacuating 3,344 Nepalis from affected areas.
A total of 20,819 security personnel have been mobilised for search, rescue and relief efforts, including 8,722 Nepal Army personnel, 7,894 Nepal Police officers and 4,203 members of the Armed Police Force.
Rescue and recovery operations continue across the flood-hit regions as authorities race to locate thousands still unaccounted for and provide relief to displaced communities.
