KATHMANDU — Rescue and search operations remain the primary focus in Nepal following catastrophic floods, with authorities confirming 903 fatalities and approximately 4,200 people still unaccounted for as international and domestic emergency responses intensify.
Government sources say that over 10,000 individuals have been rescued from the affected regions, a figure that includes more than 323 foreign nationals. However, an estimated 590 foreign citizens from 39 countries remain missing.
The Government of Nepal has mobilized all available national resources while coordinating closely with immediate neighbors and the international community. Specialized technical teams from India (11 personnel) and China (9 personnel) are currently deployed for tunnel rescue operations in Mailung (Chilime), Syafrubesi, and Upper Trisuli 3A, alongside a mobilized team from the Republic of Korea. Additionally, an 18-member forensic team specializing in DNA analysis has been deployed from India since August 29, and coordination is underway to mobilize a Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team from Singapore.
Generous rescue support, emergency equipment, and relief supplies—including bridge units, freezers, generator sets, solar lamps, DNA testing kits, tents, blankets, sleeping bags, food packets, and medicines—have been received from nations and partners including India, China, Japan, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and the Republic of Korea. Further supplies and assistance are arriving or pledged from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, and international organizations including the UN, WHO, WFP, and UNICEF.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah and Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal have engaged in high-level diplomatic communications with international leaders and counterparts, including recent phone calls with the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan.
To manage the deceased, the government has received airtight body bags, and medical teams have collected DNA samples from unidentified and decomposed bodies prior to temporary burial to allow for future identification, record-matching, and exhumation for traditional rituals.
A preliminary needs assessment is currently underway, to be followed by a detailed Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) to guide the upcoming rehabilitation and reconstruction phase for damaged critical infrastructure, including houses, road networks, bridges, and hydropower facilities. International assistance will be required for this phase.
The Ministry has established a dedicated Emergency Control Room (ECR) to coordinate with relevant agencies and assist the families of missing persons, while diplomatic missions are actively facilitating communication, identification, and repatriation procedures. Authorities have urged the public and media outlets to rely exclusively on officially verified updates provided through platforms like the NDRRMA and Nepal Tourism Board, while contributions can be channeled through the official Prime Minister Relief Fund via verified QR codes.
