Nepal raises missing toll to 6,150 after deadly glacier-related floods

16:11

Nepalese authorities have sharply revised the number of people reported missing following devastating floods and debris flows triggered by the collapse of a glacier in the Himalayas, with the latest official figure reaching 6,150.

The updated toll was announced on September 16, nearly three weeks after the disaster struck on August 26. Officials said the increase from 5,179 missing people reported a day earlier was largely the result of a broader verification process rather than evidence that hundreds of new people had disappeared.

Nepal’s disaster management authorities have been collecting information from local administrations and reviewing lists compiled in the affected districts. Shanti Mahat, a spokesperson for the country’s disaster authorities, said the figures were being reassessed to produce a more accurate record of those still unaccounted for.

The human toll remains severe. Authorities reported that 1,403 bodies had been recovered by Wednesday, although only 105 victims had been formally identified and handed over to their families at that stage. Identification has been complicated by the scale of the disaster and the difficulties involved in gathering reliable information from affected communities.

The number of missing people therefore remains subject to change. Some individuals recorded as missing may eventually be identified among recovered victims, while others may have been found without their status yet being reflected in official records. Authorities are continuing to compare administrative data with information provided by relatives.

The disaster began on August 26 after the collapse of a glacier in the Himalayan region released large quantities of ice, rock and debris. The resulting floods and debris flows swept through several areas, causing widespread destruction in parts of Nepal.

Among the affected areas were Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Kavre districts, as well as parts of the Kathmandu Valley. Floodwaters and mudflows damaged homes, roads and essential infrastructure, while several hydropower facilities were also affected.

The disaster also extended across the border into China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Chinese authorities have reported 43 deaths and 519 people missing in the affected areas. The international dimension of the disaster has added further complexity to efforts to assess its full human and economic impact.

The area around Gyirong, an important border crossing between Nepal and China, was among the locations affected. Damage to transportation infrastructure and other facilities has complicated movement and access to some areas where rescue and recovery operations are taking place.

Search teams continue to work in difficult mountainous terrain, dealing with unstable ground, extensive debris and damaged infrastructure. Drones, helicopters and specialized rescue teams have been deployed to support searches and recover victims in locations that are difficult to reach by road.

Some survivors were also found inside tunnels linked to hydropower facilities several days after the disaster, demonstrating the challenges faced by rescue teams attempting to reach isolated or partially inaccessible sites.

Authorities are continuing to update the lists of missing people as search operations progress and information is verified. Further changes to the death and missing-person figures are therefore possible in the coming days.

Nearly three weeks after the floods, the full scale of the disaster remains difficult to establish. For families, the identification of recovered victims and the search for those still unaccounted for remain the immediate priorities as Nepal continues its recovery from one of the region's most devastating recent disasters.