Nepal: Flood toll reaches 903 dead and over 4,200 missing

Monday 31 August 2026 - 07:09

The disaster caused by the collapse of a glacier continues to worsen in Nepal. Five days after the deadly flood near the Chinese border, authorities report 903 deaths and 4,247 people still missing. The toll could still rise as search efforts continue.

The human toll from the disaster that struck Nepal on August 26 keeps increasing. According to emergency management authorities, 903 people are now confirmed dead and 4,247 remain unaccounted for after the devastating flood swept through several regions of the country.

The phenomenon was triggered by the collapse of a glacier in a mountainous area near the border with China. The force of the waters and mudslides caused significant damage and left many families without news of their loved ones.

Over 2,000 missing in three districts

The figures provided by the authorities show the exceptional scale of the disaster in the directly affected areas. More than 2,000 people are reported missing in the districts of Nuwakot, Rasuwa, and Makwanpur.

Search operations remain particularly challenging in these mountainous sectors, where infrastructure has been heavily impacted by the severe weather and landslides.

Authorities are also searching for 592 foreign nationals, whose presence in the disaster-stricken areas complicates the establishment of a definitive toll.

Hundreds of workers also unaccounted for

Among those being searched for are 933 employees of hydropower plants and workers involved in dam construction.

This concentration of workers in energy facilities and construction areas along waterways highlights the particular vulnerability of these infrastructures in the face of such a large-scale event.

The number of missing persons is likely to change as authorities cross-reference information and identify evacuated or found individuals.

China also severely affected

The disaster has not been limited to Nepalese territory. On the other side of the border, Chinese authorities have also reported casualties.

Chinese state media report 16 dead and 546 missing, bringing the provisional toll of the disaster to 919 deaths and 4,793 missing for both countries.

These figures remain provisional and could still change as search and identification operations continue.

Bodies found in India

The consequences of the flood are also being felt further downstream. In the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, authorities have announced the recovery of 17 bodies that may belong to victims of the disaster.

These remains, found since Wednesday, are not yet included in the official Nepalese toll. Their identification will help determine their origin and establish whether they are linked to the disaster that occurred in the Himalayas.

Families still waiting

As search efforts continue, uncertainty remains for thousands of families. The scale of the disappearances makes it particularly difficult to establish a definitive toll, as several individuals may still be found or identified.

Five days after the disaster, Nepal is thus facing one of the deadliest humanitarian crises in recent years, while authorities continue rescue operations and attempt to ascertain the exact scale of human losses.