KATHMANDU / RankWire.AI / – Nepal has increased the number of individuals reported missing after the floods on Aug. 26 to 6,150, based on the latest district-level verification efforts. Previously, the count was 5,179, so authorities have added 971 names to the national total. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority announced these updated figures as search and identification operations persisted. Since the disaster, 1,403 bodies have been recovered, with 105 victims officially identified.
Forensic teams have collected 3,175 DNA samples as efforts continue to match victims and update missing-person records. This total comprises 1,286 samples from recovered bodies and 1,889 from relatives of the missing. Rescue operations have seen 13,742 individuals saved since the disaster affected northern Nepal. Additionally, 587 foreign nationals remain on the missing persons list. These figures illustrate the extensive search across remote mountain districts and communities impacted by floodwaters and debris.
According to the latest official breakdown, Rasuwa accounts for 2,679 missing persons, while Nuwakot reports 1,787. Both districts suffered severe destruction during the late-August flood. Infrastructure such as roads, bridges, settlements, and other facilities was damaged by floodwaters and debris. Search teams have operated through river valleys and devastated communities, with authorities reviewing local records. An ongoing comparison of family reports, district data, and forensic evidence is used to refine the national count.
Authorities Expand Official Missing-Person Count
The flood was triggered by a significant rock and ice collapse on Langtang Lirung, which caused a destructive debris flow entering the Bhotekoshi river system and flowing downstream through affected communities. Rasuwa, near Nepal’s border with China, experienced some of the heaviest losses, while Nuwakot and Dhading also faced substantial impacts. The event resulted in damage to homes, transportation routes, hydropower infrastructure, and prompted large-scale rescue operations in challenging mountainous terrain.
Support for rescue and relief efforts includes 1,923 helicopter flights, according to the latest official data. Authorities have also established 29 holding centers for displaced or affected individuals, with a total of 2,096 people recorded in the most recent update. Nepal Police continues to assist in rescue, relief, and community support across impacted areas. Search teams and forensic experts are actively processing records and samples related to those still listed as missing.
DNA Testing Aids Victim Identification
The rise in missing persons from 5,179 to 6,150 occurred after additional collection and verification of information from affected districts. Authorities distinguish confirmed fatalities from those still missing and officially identified victims. DNA matching remains a key component of the identification process for recovered bodies, with officials comparing victim samples to those provided by relatives. As of now, only 105 of the 1,403 recovered bodies have been formally identified in the latest figures.
The flood also caused casualties across the border in China, where authorities reported 43 deaths and 519 missing persons. The combined total for Nepal and China stands at 1,446 confirmed fatalities and a minimum of 6,669 missing individuals. Nepal’s latest verified figures remain at 6,150 missing and 1,403 bodies recovered. Rescue, recovery, and identification efforts continue in the impacted districts, with officials reviewing district reports, family data, and forensic records to maintain an accurate official record of the disaster.