KATHMANDU, AUG 28 (PTI): The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 579 on Friday, while 1,924 people remained missing as search and rescue operations resumed at full pace amid fears of fresh flooding.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority warned of another flood after water levels mixed with mud rose at the site of Wednesday’s devastating flash flood in the Bhotekoshi River area. It urged rescuers and people in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli areas to remain alert and move to safer locations if necessary.
Nepal Police said 579 bodies had been recovered from eight districts. Five deaths were also reported in Tibet’s Gyirong County.
Of those missing in Nepal, 86 are security personnel, 517 foreign tourists and 127 Nepali travellers. A total of 4,451 people have been rescued, including 129 foreign nationals, among them 85 Indians, and 191 people trapped in hydropower project tunnels. At least 101 injured people are receiving treatment in Kathmandu hospitals.
The rescue operation involves 7,451 security personnel, including 2,391 Nepal Army personnel, with helicopters reaching isolated areas while ground teams search riverbanks and downstream settlements.
Nepal has suspended examinations from August 29. Prime Minister Balendra Shah and his cabinet will donate a month’s salary to the relief fund, while the government prepares relief and rehabilitation packages.
China has issued a Level-IV alert over a large barrier lake near the Nepal-Tibet border, warning that a possible breach could trigger further flooding.
Saturday, August 29, 2026