The death toll from last week’s catastrophic floods in Nepal has risen to 903, while 4,247 people remain missing, according to the latest figures released Monday by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).

Among those still unaccounted for are 592 foreign nationals, while hundreds of people associated with hydropower projects are also missing as rescue teams struggle to reach sites buried beneath mud and debris.

The disaster began on August 26, when a massive glacial collapse in the Himalayan region near the Nepal-China border triggered torrents of water, rocks and debris that surged through river valleys. The resulting floods devastated communities, destroyed bridges and roads, and swept away buildings and other infrastructure. Scientists said the underlying rock collapse was powerful enough to register as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event.

Rescue Operations Intensify

Nepal has mobilized more than 20,800 security personnel from the army, police and armed police forces to conduct search, rescue and relief operations. Authorities said more than 10,400 people have so far been rescued, while helicopter operations continue to reach isolated communities and transport survivors and aid.

Particular attention is being given to hydropower facilities, where hundreds of workers are believed to remain trapped inside tunnels blocked by mud and debris. Nepal has received assistance from rescue specialists from India, China and South Korea to help access the underground sites.

The Nepalese Army has conducted hundreds of helicopter flights, including operations to evacuate foreign nationals from affected areas. Six specialized surgical medical teams have also been deployed to some of the worst-hit districts.

Bodies Recovered Hundreds of Kilometers Away

The scale of the disaster has made the identification and recovery of victims particularly difficult. Floodwaters carried bodies and debris far downstream, with victims recovered hundreds of kilometers from where the flooding began.

Chitwan has recorded the highest number of recovered bodies, with 272, followed by Nawalparasi East with 207 and Nawalparasi West with 151. Bodies have also been recovered in Nuwakot, Gorkha, Dhading, Tanahun and Rasuwa.

Authorities are struggling to identify some victims because of decomposition. Unidentified bodies are being held at hospitals across the affected districts, while DNA analysis is being used to help families determine the fate of missing relatives.

Disaster Spreads Across the Border

The catastrophe has also caused major loss of life in China’s Tibet region. Chinese authorities have reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people, bringing the combined death toll in Nepal and Tibet to at least 919, with nearly 4,800 people missing.

The disaster has also affected foreign travelers and pilgrims in the region. Many people were traveling toward the sacred Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar area when the flooding struck.

Authorities warn that difficult terrain, unstable weather and newly formed debris-dammed lakes could further complicate rescue operations. Nepal’s government has called for continued international assistance as teams race against time to reach survivors and locate thousands of missing people.

With rescue teams still unable to access some of the hardest-hit areas, officials caution that the casualty figures could continue to rise in the coming days. (ILKHA)