Nepal Flood Death Toll Reaches 359 as Hundreds Remain Missing

KATHMANDU, NEPAL — Nepal says 359 bodies have been recovered after catastrophic flooding along the Bhote Koshi corridor, as rescuers search for hundreds still missing.

Nepalese authorities said Thursday evening that 359 bodies had been recovered after a devastating flash flood swept through the country's northern border region and surged downstream, while search teams continued efforts to locate residents, travelers and others still unaccounted for.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an update issued at 8 p.m. Nepal time that 596 foreign nationals in its country-by-country assessment remained missing. The ministry said its figures were still subject to verification as rescue operations continued.

The scale of the disaster expanded rapidly during August 27 as bodies were recovered far downstream from the initial impact zone. Nepal Police figures reported by the Kathmandu Post showed recoveries across eight districts, including Chitwan, Nawalparasi East, Dhading, Gorkha, Nuwakot, Tanahun, Rasuwa and Nawalparasi West.

The flood struck the Bhote Koshi River area on August 26, damaging homes, roads, bridges, hydropower facilities and other critical infrastructure, according to the Foreign Ministry. Nepalese security forces, disaster agencies, local authorities and health services were deployed for rescue, evacuation, medical assistance and relief.

Foreign nationals from 33 countries remain unaccounted for

The Foreign Ministry's latest table listed 627 foreign nationals connected with the disaster. Thirty-one had been found and 596 remained missing as of the 8 p.m. update.

The largest unresolved groups in that assessment included 167 Indian nationals, 100 Chinese nationals, 66 Americans, 53 Ukrainians, 51 Malaysians, 35 Australians, 33 British citizens and 25 Canadians.

Smaller numbers of people from countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific were also listed. The international scope of the search prompted the Foreign Ministry to establish an emergency operation to coordinate information verification, consular assistance and communication concerning foreign nationals affected by the disaster.

Those numbers should not be added mechanically to other missing-person totals released during Thursday.

Earlier assessments from Nepal's disaster and tourism authorities covered different groups and reporting periods. The Kathmandu Post, for example, reported earlier Thursday that 826 people were out of contact, including residents, members of the security forces and domestic and foreign travelers.

Later Tourism Board reporting also revised the traveler figures as agencies received new information. That changing picture means any overall missing-person total remains provisional.

Flood's effects spread far beyond Rasuwa

Although the initial disaster struck the northern border region, the casualty pattern demonstrates how far the flood's effects traveled through Nepal's river system.

Police said 132 bodies had been recovered in Chitwan by 5 p.m., compared with 82 in Nawalparasi East, 33 in Dhading, 30 in Gorkha, 28 in Nuwakot, 22 in Tanahun, 17 in Rasuwa and 15 in Nawalparasi West.

Authorities continued evacuating people from areas considered vulnerable to further flooding while clearing roads obstructed by debris.

The government said river systems and downstream flood risks remained under continuous monitoring.

The destruction has also complicated the search itself. Roads, bridges and communications infrastructure were damaged, limiting access to some affected communities and forcing rescue operations to rely partly on helicopters and other emergency resources.

Across the border in Tibet, Chinese authorities were conducting a parallel response. The disaster therefore extends beyond Nepal's national casualty count, and figures reported for Tibet should not be folded into Nepal's 359 deaths.