Nepal flood toll hits 768 as Bhotekoshi rises, fresh flood fears grow

Nepal remained on alert as the Bhotekoshi River rose again during flood rescues. The renewed surge deepened fears of fresh flooding while thousands still remained missing.Nepal remained on alert on Sunday after water levels in the Bhotekoshi River rose again, days after a devastating flash flood tore through central parts of the country. Authorities warned residents and rescue teams in the affected districts to take precautions as search operations continued amid intermittent rain and fears of fresh flooding.The death toll from the August 26 flash floods rose to 768 on Sunday, while more than 2,500 people remained missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). The disaster, believed to have been triggered by a collapse or avalanche of ice and rock near the Nepal-Tibet border, destroyed towns and villages, swept away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges, and damaged hydropower projects.In a statement, the NDRRMA said the Bhotekoshi River had risen again. "The water level in the flooded Bhotekoshi River has risen to some extent; all concerned are urged to take precautionary measures," it said, adding that it would issue further updates after receiving more information.Authorities said 2,502 people, including 320 foreigners, remained missing in Nepal. India said on Saturday that more than 275 Indians and 128 persons of Indian origin were missing or non-contactable, while 108 others had been rescued. Preliminary data from Nepal's education ministry showed the missing also included 238 students and 18 teachers from schools in three flood-hit districts. Bodies continued to be recovered across Nepal as rescue operations went on. Till Sunday evening, 264 bodies had been recovered from Chitawan district, 194 from Nawalparasi East and 100 from Nawalparasi West. Recoveries were also reported from Gorkha, Dhading, Nuwakot, Tanahu and Rasuwa.Hospitals in Nepal have seen large crowds of people searching for missing relatives, with the focus increasingly turning to identifying the dead. Photographs have been pasted outside hospital walls, where people could be seen carefully scanning them. Police said only 17 bodies had been identified so far. "Only 17 bodies have been identified so far as most of the bodies are either in a dilapidated state or amputated," said Rajendra Prasad Dhamala, spokesperson for the Bagmati Province Police Office. Dhamala said 96 bodies had been buried after the required legal formalities were completed. He said DNA samples had been collected before burial and preserved in designated places in line with regulations. He added that identified bodies were being handed over to families after verification.Nepal's Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said at a press briefing on Sunday that the mortal remains of victims who could not be identified, including those that were unrecognisable, amputated or decomposed after prolonged exposure to water, had been buried following "standard and accepted protocols". "Medical teams take DNA samples from every victim prior to the burial so that families can match records later, and will be allowed to exhume for necessary rituals," Rai said. He also said an 18-member team of forensic experts from India specialising in DNA analysis had arrived in Nepal and that coordination between the two countries was continuing.On the Chinese side, the disaster left 16 people dead and 546 missing, with rescue operations continuing. Those missing in Tibet included 261 foreigners from 23 countries, including 49 Indians. Fears of fresh flooding in Nepal had eased on Saturday after Chinese media reported that the barrier lake formed following the glacier collapse had begun shrinking. But fresh reports on Sunday said a landslide near the natural dam had created another "dam lake", leading rescue personnel to evacuate the area.Nepal's meteorology department had on Saturday warned of fresh rain and thunderstorms in the flood-hit areas. The government has mobilised nearly 20,000 security personnel for search and rescue operations, while helicopters have been making repeated sorties to evacuate stranded people and deliver relief supplies. The NDRRMA said more than 8,730 people had been rescued from affected areas till Sunday evening.Transport has been disrupted along the Prithvi Highway, which links Kathmandu with Pokhara and western Nepal, after a section was washed away by the Trishuli River at Krishnabhir. Officials said it would take time to reopen the road and asked people to use an alternative route. Nineteen motorable bridges and several highways and arterial roads were washed away in the floods.The flash floods also damaged eight operational hydropower projects with a total capacity of 354 MW and five under-construction projects in Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts, according to the Independent Power Producers' Association Nepal. Hundreds of workers are believed to be trapped at at least nine hydropower project sites, especially in Rasuwa and Nuwakot. An 11-member team from India is helping in the rescue effort. At the Trishuli hydropower project site, Nepalese security personnel, assisted by Indian tunnel experts, continued efforts even after Saturday midnight to locate the tunnel entrance and evacuate those trapped, despite heavy overnight rain, Nepal Army sources said.According to the NDRRMA, 239 people injured in the floods were admitted to hospitals including Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital and Bir Hospital in Kathmandu, and Rasuwa District Hospital in Dhunche, till Sunday evening. So far, 37 trucks carrying food and seven helicopters loaded with food and non-food items have been sent to the affected areas. The Indian embassy said India has also provided 68.5 tonnes of relief material and sent technical teams, forensic experts and equipment to support search and rescue operations. Overall, Nepal remained focused on rescue, recovery and relief on Sunday as the death toll rose, thousands stayed missing and the threat of more flooding kept authorities on alert.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 30, 2026 17:00 IST