Nepal Flood Death Toll Rises to 270, Over 800 People Still Missing

The death toll from the devastating Bhote Koshi floods in Nepal has risen to 270, with rescue teams continuing to recover bodies from several downstream districts, Nepal Police said on Thursday.

The massive flash flood, which originated in the Tibetan region of China before entering Nepal through the transboundary Bhote Koshi River, caused widespread destruction across settlements and key infrastructure in the Himalayan nation.

Chitwan reported the highest number of recovered bodies at 108, followed by 62 in Nawalparasi East, 27 in Dhading and 17 in Rasuwa, according to Nepal Police. Bodies were still being recovered from areas downstream as rescue and search operations continued.

The disaster also left a large number of people unaccounted for. The Nepali government said more than 800 people remained out of contact after floodwaters swept through residential areas, hydropower projects, customs facilities and electricity infrastructure.

The hydropower sector has been particularly badly affected. The Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN), said employees at several projects remained missing as authorities struggled to establish communication with affected sites.

At the under-construction 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, 76 employees of Andritz Hydro were reported out of contact. Around half of them are Nepali nationals and the rest are foreign workers.

Another 11 employees of the project developer, Nepal Water and Energy Development Company, also remain unaccounted for, including eight South Korean nationals.

At the 111-MW Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, 51 people are reported to be out of contact, while eight employees working at the powerhouse of the 5-MW Mailung Khola Hydropower Project are also missing.

Two employees of Chinese contractor Sinohydro working on the 120-MW Rasuwa Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project have also been reported missing.

The disaster has raised particular concern over the safety of foreign nationals travelling through the affected Himalayan corridor. Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said at least 300 Indian nationals, many of them pilgrims travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, have been reported missing.

Speaking at the NDTV World Anviksha Summit in Kathmandu, Khanal said thousands of people remained untraced in the Rasuwa region and that authorities were still working to determine the full scale of the devastation.

“Town after town were wiped out within hours,” Khanal said, adding that thousands of families had lost their homes and that the government was still trying to establish how many people remained missing.

“Foreign nationals, including Indians, take the route in the affected area to the Mansarovar Yatra. Close to 300 Indians have been reported missing and the government is trying to establish contact with them,” he said.

Khanal said around 500 foreign nationals in total were currently out of contact following the floods. The Nepal government, he added, was coordinating with the embassies of several countries to trace foreign nationals and determine their safety.

The high number of missing people, combined with the destruction of roads, bridges and communication infrastructure, is expected to make the search and identification process difficult. Authorities are continuing rescue, recovery and relief operations in affected areas, while families wait for information about those who remain unaccounted for.

The scale of the disaster has also highlighted the vulnerability of Nepal's mountain communities and critical infrastructure to sudden flood events, particularly in areas where rivers cut through steep and densely populated valleys.

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