Kathmandu — The death toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal has surpassed 1,300, with nearly 5,000 people still missing 11 days after an ice-rock avalanche triggered catastrophe along the Bhotekoshi River, authorities confirmed on Saturday.

According to Nepal Police, at least 1,341 people have been confirmed dead, while approximately 5,000 people — including 589 foreign nationals and around 100 security personnel — remain unaccounted for. More than 13,100 people have been rescued so far in ongoing operations.

What caused the disaster

The disaster was triggered on August 26 when an ice-rock avalanche crashed down the northern slopes of Mount Langtang Lirung near the Nepal-Tibet border. The avalanche sent a massive surge of water and debris cascading down the Lhende River, which meets the Bhotekoshi at the Rasuwagadhi border point. The floodwaters then tore through eight districts — Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Chitwan, Tanahun, Nawalparasi East and Nawalparasi West — before entering India.

Devastation across districts

The worst-affected district was Chitwan, where 362 bodies were recovered. Nawalparasi East recorded 222 deaths, Nawalparasi West 220, Nuwakot 195, Rasuwa 163, Gorkha 74, Dhading 67, and Tanahun 28.

Homes, vehicles, roads, bridges and critical hydropower infrastructure were swept away or severely damaged. The flooding also crossed into Chinese territory, where at least 31 people were killed and more than 500 remain missing in Tibet.

Identification challenges

Officials report that at least 85 of the recovered bodies were children. Around 500 bodies were recovered with body parts missing, and the condition of many remains has made identification extremely difficult. Many bodies were swept far downstream, while others remained trapped in water and mud, leaving them severely damaged or decomposed.

Only 98 bodies had been identified and handed over to families as of Saturday. Nepal Police has begun DNA sampling to help identify the dead, while mass burials have been conducted in some areas.

Miracle rescues

Amid the devastation, there have been remarkable stories of survival. A 60-year-old woman was pulled alive from the top floor of a four-storey house in Bidur town, Nuwakot district, where she had been trapped for 10 days under mud and debris. Her family had already performed symbolic last rites, assuming she was dead.

On Saturday, rescue teams also saved a Chinese national from an audit tunnel of the Upper Trishuli 1 Hydropower Project, alongside a 64-year-old woman from Betrawati in Nuwakot.

India sends aid

India has dispatched approximately 95 tonnes of humanitarian aid across seven flights, accompanied by 54 specialised personnel to support search and rescue missions. Indian personnel are working alongside the Nepal Army in operations at the Chilime Tunnel, the Indian Embassy confirmed.

Humanitarian crisis deepens

According to the UN Population Fund, an estimated 4,430 pregnant women are living in areas across the 15 hardest-hit municipalities in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading. Thousands of expectant and new mothers are struggling for care and privacy in crowded shelter camps.

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority continues to coordinate rescue and relief efforts, but the scale of the disaster — one of the deadliest flood events in the country's recent history — has overwhelmed local resources.