The death toll from devastating flash floods in the Nepal-Tibet region rose to 1,243 on Thursday.
The death toll from devastating flash floods in the Nepal-Tibet region rose to 1,243 on Thursday, as rescue teams battled heavy rain and thick debris while searching for people believed to be trapped in tunnels and underground power facilities along the Bhotekoshi River. A total of 7,912 police personnel have been deployed to flood-hit areas to assist with search and rescue operations, distribute relief supplies and manage recovered bodies. Authorities have also published details of 911 unidentified bodies on the Nepal Police website to help families identify missing relatives.
Because of the hazardous conditions inside the project’s tunnels, search operations have been particularly challenging. Rescue teams from the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force are working with international specialists from India, China and South Korea to clear mud, debris and boulders from underground hydropower facilities in areas including Langtang, Chilime and Upper Trisuli. As Nepal continues to coordinate international assistance from India, China, the United States, Japan, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations, authorities are deploying available resources toward emergency relief, searches for missing people and long-term recovery. Teams from the Nepali Army and Armed Police Force, along with foreign technical experts and project employees, are continuing efforts to locate workers who remain missing.
Chhetri said 11,993 people had been rescued, while 1,114 bodies had been recovered. Around 3,900 people remain unaccounted for, he said, urging relatives of those missing to provide DNA samples at the Nepal Police Hospital in Maharajgunj or their nearest District Police Office to help forensic teams with identification.