Nepal flash floods: Death toll hits 626; Eight Keralites among 320 Indians missing
Kathmandu/ New Delhi/ Thiruvananthapuram: The death toll from devastating flash floods along the Nepal–Tibet border rose to 626 on Saturday, August 29, as search teams continued to recover bodies from multiple districts following Wednesday’s catastrophic deluge. Authorities report that nearly 2,000 people remain missing, while continuous rainfall, widespread destruction and heavy siltation continue to hamper rescue operations for a fourth consecutive day.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) confirmed that bodies have been recovered across eight central districts: 233 from Chitwan, 158 from Nawalparasi East, 51 from Nuwakot, 48 from Gorkha, 47 from Nawalparasi West, 45 from Dhading, 31 from Tanahu and 13 from Rasuwa. State media in China confirmed that five deaths have also been recorded in the flood-hit Gyirong Port region of Tibet, while seven bodies swept downstream into Indian rivers have been retrieved.
The flash floods, triggered by torrential rains in the Trishuli River basin and surrounding catchments, have swept away bridges, roads and key hydropower infrastructure.
Over 1900 missing in Nepal; Foreigners stranded
According to Nepalese authorities, 1,910 people, including 86 security personnel and 517 foreign nationals, remain unaccounted for in Nepal alone. Overall search figures indicate that up to 2,400 individuals are missing across the broader affected terrain. Rescue teams have safely evacuated nearly 2,500 stranded individuals, while 1,545 injured victims have been relocated to safe zones.
On Friday, the Nepal Tourism Board reported that 121 foreign tourists, , including 85 Indian citizens, 16 Chinese nationals and nine South Koreans, had been rescued while the nationality of three individuals remains unconfirmed. On the Chinese side, authorities evacuated 1,000 people, including 555 tourists, from the Gyirong region.
The vast distance that floodwaters carried victims has severely complicated identification. While only 12 bodies were recovered from Rasuwa, the district worst hit by the initial flash flood, hundreds of bodies were subsequently located in Chitwan, 150 to 200 kilometres downstream.
Looming threat of a new barrier lake
Concerns have intensified over a massive artificial lake (barrier lake) formed at the confluence of the Chochan Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers. According to China's Ministry of Water Resources, the lake accumulated 2 million cubic metres of water by Thursday morning, with an estimated 3 million cubic metres expected to flow in over the next three days.
As the lake overflowed, water levels rose sharply along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, placing communities in Nepal and Tibet on high alert. Fearing an imminent breach that could trigger a second disaster, Chinese authorities temporarily halted operations at Gyirong Port for several hours and shifted rescue workers to safety before resuming work under high-vigilance protocols. NDRRMA officials also warned that rising water levels at the primary flood site present a severe risk of secondary inundation.
320 Indian citizens missing; Pilgrims stranded in Tibet
In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that at least 320 Indian nationals are missing in the flood zones, alongside roughly 100 people of Indian origin holding foreign citizenship. A large number of those missing were pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated at a press briefing that around 400 Indians stranded on the Chinese side of the border are safe. Among them, 96 Indians have safely crossed over into Nepal via land routes, while others have contacted the Indian Embassy in Beijing for assistance. The Indian Government is coordinating with Chinese authorities to arrange their repatriation.
Status of Keralites: 60 safe, 8 untraced
In Thiruvananthapuram, Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) Roots reported that out of 68 Keralites stranded in the flood-affected regions, 60 have been confirmed safe, while trace operations continue for eight untraced individuals, including two women and a child. Three of the untraced individuals belong to North Paravur, Kollam and Kannur, while five are non-resident Keralites based abroad.
NORKA Roots chief executive officer Rajesh Madhavan confirmed that details regarding the missing individuals have been submitted to the Ministry of External Affairs.
Meanwhile, a 23-member Indian group comprising 19 Keralites on the Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage has safely reached the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, from Darchen in Tibet, and is scheduled to fly back to Kerala on August 31. Other stranded Keralites have informed family members that they have safely crossed into Darjeeling in West Bengal, while others are residing safely in the Mount Everest region.
NORKA Roots has requested returning Keralites to contact their dedicated helpdesks, the NRK Development Office in New Delhi, or the NORKA Global Contact Centre (Toll-Free: 18004253939) for travel assistance.
(With PTI inputs)