Nepal Flood Death Toll Rises to 1,252 as Search Continues

The Nepal flood death toll has risen to 1,252, Nepal News reported on Thursday morning, as search operations continue more than two months after one of the worst disasters in the country's recent history.

According to the latest figures, 4,875 people are still missing. Bodies have been recovered across multiple districts, including 355 in Chitwan, 218 in Nawalparasi East, 190 in Nawalparasi West, 177 in Nuwakot, 127 in Rasuwa, 69 in Gorkha, 60 in Dhading and 38 in Tanahun.

The Nepal flood toll has climbed steeply in recent days. Just a day earlier, on Wednesday evening, Nepal Police had put the death toll at 788, with 2,502 missing. The sharp rise reflects rescue teams reaching more remote areas and recovering bodies as the search continues, and officials warn the figures are still changing.

The disaster began on August 26, when a glacier collapse triggered a massive torrent of water, ice, rocks and mud through Himalayan river systems along the Nepal-China border. The Bhote Koshi river valley in Rasuwa district was among the worst hit, with towns and villages washed away and roads and highways buried under piles of mud and debris.

Rescue teams have so far rescued 8,730 people, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). Much of the rescue effort has focused on hydropower stations in the region, where authorities believe there might still be survivors in tunnels and powerhouse buildings. The Trishuli 3A hydroelectric project area was one of the worst hit, with 933 workers from hydropower projects listed among the missing.

Nepal flood: the missing, including foreigners

The Nepal flood missing list cuts across every part of society. It includes 25 Nepal Police personnel, 45 Nepali Army personnel, 13 Armed Police Force personnel, 15 customs office staff and 4 immigration office staff, along with 562 people in Rasuwa, 115 in Nuwakot and 65 in Makwanpur.

Foreign nationals are also among the missing. Officials have said 587 foreign nationals from more than 35 countries were caught in the disaster, along with 127 people accompanying foreign tourists. India's Ministry of External Affairs said four Indians were rescued from the Rasuwa hydropower project, while 287 Indians remained missing. Earlier, the US State Department said at least 90 Americans were among the missing. Thousands of kilometres away, families in India, Malaysia, Ukraine and the United States have been left waiting for news of their loved ones.

Identifying the dead has become a major task of its own. The government has formed a Disaster Victim Identification team for the first time, to streamline identification and prevent errors. Following DNA sampling, officials have safely buried 897 unidentified bodies, while details of 959 unidentified victims have been published on the official Nepal Police website to help families identify them.

Nepal flood: what caused it and what comes next

The Nepal flood was triggered by a glacier breaking off and collapsing into a river on the Himalayan border with Tibet, sending a wall of mud and rock downstream. The scale of the destruction has raised urgent questions about glacier safety, early warning systems and the risks of building hydropower projects in narrow Himalayan valleys.

Dr Dharma Raj Upreti, executive chief of the NDRRMA, has warned that extraordinary disasters could recur next year because of the effects of climate change and El Nino, and has stressed the need for stronger preparedness. Although this year's monsoon-related disasters have claimed 133 lives overall, a lower toll than last year, the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river incidents caused extensive damage far beyond the usual monsoon pattern.

Rasuwa was not a one-off. On October 11, six weeks after the main disaster, another flood came down the Budhi Gandaki river in Gorkha, sweeping away five bridges, damaging about 200 houses and leaving five people missing.

Across the border in Tibet, China's official toll has held at 16 dead and 546 missing, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency, though Chinese officials said workers had recovered 12 more bodies as the search continued for hundreds still missing there.

One caution applies to every number in this story: figures from different outlets and different days vary, because the search is still under way and bodies are still being recovered and identified. The 1,252 dead and 4,875 missing reported on Thursday morning are the latest figures from Nepal News, and they may rise further.

Nepal flood: frequently asked questions

What caused the Nepal flood? A glacier collapse on August 26 sent a torrent of water, ice, rocks and mud through the Bhote Koshi river valley in Rasuwa district, on the Nepal-China border.

How many people died in the Nepal flood? Nepal News reported 1,252 dead as of Thursday morning, November 5. Figures vary by source and day, and the toll is still rising as bodies are recovered.

How many are still missing after the Nepal flood? A total of 4,875 people are still missing, including hydropower workers, security personnel and foreign nationals.

Were foreigners caught in the disaster? Yes. Officials say 587 foreign nationals from more than 35 countries were affected, including 287 Indians still missing and at least 90 Americans reported missing earlier.

Is the rescue operation still going on? Yes. Search operations continue, with rescue teams focused on hydropower stations and tunnels, and a new Disaster Victim Identification team working to identify the dead.