Nepal’s Bhote Koshi flood death toll has reached 1,204, with 4,216 people missing as multinational teams search hydropower tunnels
Kathmandu September 3, 2026: The death toll from Nepal’s devastating Bhote Koshi flash flood has risen to 1,204, while 4,216 people remain missing, according to the latest government update available on Thursday morning.
Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 11,993 people had been rescued from affected districts by Wednesday evening. At least 301 injured people have received or are receiving medical treatment. Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Chitwan and Nawalparasi are among the worst-affected districts.
The figures remain provisional because authorities are verifying overlapping reports from local governments, foreign-tourist groups and hydropower companies. Identification of recovered victims is continuing through DNA testing and forensic examinations.
Tunnel rescue operation intensifies
The search is increasingly focused on hydropower tunnels where workers may have survived in chambers containing air, food and water. Approximately 900 hydropower workers remain unaccounted for, although officials believe two tunnels—where around 90 people are missing—offer the strongest possibility of finding survivors.
At the Trishuli-3A project, rescue teams believe a dry chamber could exist inside the tunnel. Pipes are being used to pump oxygen into inaccessible sections while responders attempt to clear mud and debris.
Specialist teams from Nepal, India, China and the United States are participating in tunnel operations. Heavy deposits of mud, damaged entrances, unstable ground and limited space for machinery have made progress extremely difficult.
Nepal Electricity Authority officials have said there may still be people alive inside some facilities. However, emergency officials acknowledged that the possibility of finding survivors elsewhere was declining more than a week after the disaster.
Foreign tourists remain missing
Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said 324 foreign nationals had been rescued, while approximately 590 citizens from 39 countries remained missing.
Several tourists previously listed as missing have contacted authorities, prompting officials to revise country-wise records. Australia has confirmed that five of its previously missing citizens are safe and plans to send drone operators to help search difficult terrain and hydropower tunnels.
India has deployed tunnel-rescue specialists and forensic experts. Indian authorities earlier confirmed that 163 Indian nationals had been rescued in Nepal, while efforts continued to trace those missing in Nepal and Tibet.
Tibet toll rises
On the Chinese side of the border, the official death toll has increased to 21, with 541 people still missing. Those unaccounted for reportedly include 104 Nepalis and 49 Indians.
China has reopened the main G216 highway leading to the devastated Gyirong border crossing, allowing excavators, search dogs and life-detection equipment to enter the disaster zone. Beijing has also announced additional support for Nepal, including DNA specialists, temporary Bailey bridges, communications equipment and mortuary refrigerators.
Relief and infrastructure restoration continue
Thousands of survivors are receiving shelter, food, clean water and medical assistance. Aid groups have warned that children in Rasuwa and Nuwakot are showing anxiety and other signs of psychological trauma after losing family members, homes and schools.
The government says approximately 95% of telecommunications services in affected areas have been restored. Work is continuing to repair roads, bridges, electricity networks and drinking-water systems.
The floods disrupted about 431 megawatts of electricity-generating capacity and damaged several operational and under-construction hydropower facilities.
Nepal is also preparing to install seismic sensors, monitoring cameras and satellite communication equipment near Timure. The proposed early-warning system is intended to remain operational even when conventional telephone and internet networks fail.
The August 26 disaster is believed to have been triggered by a massive glacial collapse that sent ice, rocks, meltwater and sediment into the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems. Authorities continue to monitor unstable slopes for secondary landslides.
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