Nepal Flood Death Toll Rises to 903, Over 900 Hydropower Workers Feared Trapped
Kathmandu, Aug 31: The death toll from Nepal’s devastating floods climbed to 903 on Monday, with authorities confirming that rescue teams are still recovering bodies across the affected Bhotekoshi-Trishuli corridor. Nepal’s disaster management authority said around 933 workers remain trapped in tunnels at roughly half a dozen hydropower projects following last week’s disaster
A preliminary report commissioned by the Nepal Environment Society, released Sunday, found that the catastrophic flooding was likely triggered by a massive ice-rock avalanche in the high Himalayas rather than conventional rainfall
Authorities begin mass burial of unidentified victims
With morgues and relief centres overwhelmed, Nepali authorities began mass burial of decomposing, unidentified flood victims. Dharam Raj Uprety, chief executive of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, acknowledged serious gaps in early-warning systems, noting that residents “didn’t get five minutes of lead time” before the flood struck. He attributed this to the absence of weather stations in high mountain areas and limited trans-boundary data-sharing with China. The Chinese Embassy in Nepal responded that it had shared available monitoring information “in a timely manner” within existing technological limits.
Nepal’s foreign ministry said 886 people have been rescued so far, while more than 3,000 remain missing, including around 400 foreign nationals. Among them are 49 Tamil Nadu pilgrims returning from the Kailash Yatra, reportedly stranded on the China side of the border when the floods hit on August 26.
International support has poured in, with India among the first countries to respond, delivering over 68 tonnes of relief material via four military flights and sending forensic experts to assist in victim identification. China has also deployed rescue teams to the affected region
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