Kathmandu, September 2: The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal has exceeded 1,100. On Wednesday, the Nepalese administration released updated figures, confirming that search, rescue, and relief operations are ongoing.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 1,114 bodies have been recovered as of 9 AM on Wednesday. The majority of the bodies were found in the southern Chitwan district (348), followed by Nawalparasi East (217), Nawalparasi West (190), Nuwakot (155), Gorkha (66), Dhading (59), Rasuwa (41), and Tanahun (38). This count also includes body parts recovered from various locations.
Authorities have identified 95 of the deceased and have returned them to their relatives. The NDRRMA reported that 3,916 individuals remain uncontactable. This group includes government employees, security personnel, elected representatives, foreign nationals, Nepalis accompanying tourists, local residents, and workers from hydropower projects.
However, there is a discrepancy between the figures released by the NDRRMA and those from the Nepal Police. According to the police, 4,858 individuals, including 583 foreign nationals, are missing. These figures were compiled based on information gathered by 8 AM on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, many individuals associated with 11 hydropower projects remain unaccounted for. The Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal (IPPAN) stated that the status of 983 people linked to these projects along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli River corridors in Rasuwa and Nuwakot is still unknown.
Nepalese army personnel, along with Indian and Chinese rescue teams, are attempting to reach deep into the tunnels of several hydropower projects to locate the missing individuals. The private sector representative body for power developers reported that rescue operations are ongoing at multiple sites, including the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project (60 MW), Chilime Hydropower Project (22 MW), Langtang Khola Hydropower Project (20 MW), Trishuli 3B Hydropower Project (37 MW), and Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project (216 MW).
According to IPPAN, at the time of the floods, 1,433 workers were present at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project. Of these, 876 individuals have either been rescued or contacted.
The missing individuals include 15 employees from the project company, 78 employees from the EPC contractor Doosan, 94 employees from Andritz Hydro, seven consultants from the joint venture Lahmeyer International GmbH and Z Consult Private Limited, and 385 workers from the civil subcontractor PowerChina.
As of Tuesday, 91 individuals reported missing from the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project (111 MW) had not been located. A team led by the Nepalese army inspected the site on Monday and reported that no one was found inside the powerhouse tunnel.
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