The death toll from the devastating Bhotekoshi flood in Nepal’s Rasuwa district has climbed to 1,127, according to the latest update released at 5 am on Wednesday. The casualties have been reported across several districts, with 45 deaths in Rasuwa, 155 in Nuwakot, 59 in Dhading, 348 in Chitwan, 66 in Gorkha, 38 in Tanahun, 217 in Nawalparasi East and 190 in Nawalparasi West. Nine deaths have also been reported in India.
Nepal Police said postmortem procedures have been completed for 1,113 of the recovered bodies. So far, 95 bodies have been handed over to their families.
Authorities have also uploaded details of 911 unidentified bodies to the Nepal Police website in an effort to help establish their identities. Officials have urged members of the public to check the available listings and assist with the identification process.
The rescue and relief operation remains underway across the flood-affected areas. Nepal has deployed 7,912 police personnel for search and rescue operations, relief distribution and the management of recovered bodies. According to the latest figures, 6,541 people have been rescued from affected areas, while 4,858 people are still reported missing.
The devastating flood struck on August 26 in the Nepal-Tibet border region. Initial concerns had pointed towards an earthquake, but experts, including the United States Geological Survey, have attributed the disaster to a glacial collapse followed by a debris flow in the Langtang region.
The resulting surge entered the Lhende Khola, which flows into the Bhotekoshi River before joining the Trishuli River. The sudden influx of water caused the Trishuli’s water level to rise by nearly 9 metres within just 30 minutes, highlighting the scale and speed of the disaster.
Search operations are continuing as authorities work to locate those still missing, identify recovered bodies and provide relief to communities affected by the catastrophic flooding.
