Nepal's catastrophic floods have left more than 3,000 people missing and hundreds dead as rescue teams continue searching for survivors across areas devastated by torrents of water, mud and debris. The disaster struck on August 26 along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems, affecting several districts and areas close to the Nepal-China border. Official figures have continued to change as authorities recover bodies and verify reports of missing people. According to Nepal's latest official update, 734 bodies had been recovered and around 2,498 people remained unaccounted for. Separate reports from Chinese authorities concerning Tibet have pushed the combined number of missing people in Nepal and Tibet above 3,000.

The figures are still being revised as search teams reach remote locations and authorities work to reconcile reports from different areas. The flooding has affected Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan, with bodies being recovered far downstream after floodwaters swept victims and debris along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers. Chitwan has recorded the highest number of recovered bodies in Nepal, while Rasuwa has reported hundreds of people unaccounted for. The scale of the destruction has made it difficult for authorities to establish the full toll. Rescue operations have involved nearly 20,000 security personnel and 16 helicopters, according to Nepal's Foreign Ministry.

More than 8,186 people have been rescued so far, including foreign nationals. Specialised tunnel-rescue teams from India, China and South Korea are also assisting Nepal as authorities search for people believed to be trapped inside damaged hydropower facilities. Hydropower workers account for a significant portion of those still missing. Nepal's disaster authorities have reported 933 people connected with hydropower projects among the missing, while hundreds are believed to remain trapped inside tunnels. Rescue teams have faced difficult conditions, including damaged infrastructure, rising river levels, heavy mud and unstable terrain. Overnight rain has repeatedly complicated operations in some affected areas. The disaster has also created fresh risks for rescuers and survivors. A new barrier lake reportedly formed near the Nepal-Tibet border after another landslide, prompting authorities to move personnel in potentially vulnerable areas.

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Nepal has warned that further flooding remains possible as river levels fluctuate, keeping emergency teams on alert even as the search for missing people continues. Authorities are also dealing with the difficult task of identifying victims. Nepal's Foreign Ministry said unidentified and decomposed remains are being temporarily buried following accepted humanitarian protocols. Medical teams are collecting DNA samples from victims before burial so that families can later match the remains with identification records, and authorities have said bodies can be exhumed for religious or other necessary rituals. The scale of the disaster has prompted international assistance. India has sent specialised rescue personnel and forensic experts, while China has deployed rescue teams for operations on its side of the border.

Nepal has also sought specialised equipment and technical support as it moves from immediate rescue towards relief and eventual reconstruction. The government has said the search, rescue and relief operation remains its immediate priority. The flooding has left tens of thousands of people affected and caused extensive damage to homes, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure. As rescue teams continue searching remote valleys and tunnels, the casualty figures are expected to remain fluid. For families waiting for news of missing relatives, the continuing recovery operations offer the possibility of finding survivors while authorities work simultaneously to identify those who have died.

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