Nepal flood rescue mission enters critical phase as thousands remain missing

Nepal’s search, rescue and recovery operation has entered a critical phase after devastating flash floods swept through communities along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems, leaving hundreds dead and thousands of people still unaccounted for.

The latest figures put the death toll at 734, with 2,498 people still missing. More than 8,000 people have been rescued or evacuated, including foreign nationals.

The disaster struck on August 26 when a massive surge of water and debris tore through communities in northern and central Nepal. The precise cause remains under investigation, although the catastrophe has been linked to a glacier collapse or ice-and-rock avalanche in the Himalayan region.

Rescue teams race to reach trapped workers

Among the most urgent rescue operations is the search for workers believed to be trapped inside hydropower tunnels along the Trishuli corridor.

Authorities say 933 hydropower workers are among those reported missing. At the Trishuli 3A hydropower project, rescuers have inserted a pipe into a tunnel and begun pumping air inside as teams work to reach people who may still be alive.

Specialist teams from neighbouring India and China are assisting with the difficult tunnel operations. Access remains extremely challenging, with roads and bridges destroyed, tunnel entrances buried and sections of infrastructure cut off by mud and floodwater.

Helicopters remain vital

With large sections of the affected region inaccessible by road, helicopters have become a crucial part of the rescue effort.

Military and other rescue aircraft are being used to evacuate survivors, transport food and medical supplies and reach communities cut off by the destruction. Poor weather, mountainous terrain and rising river levels, however, continue to hamper operations.

Authorities have also warned residents to remain vigilant as water levels rise in some rivers and new landslides create additional risks.

Search turns to recovery

As hopes of finding survivors continue, rescue teams are also facing the grim task of recovering and identifying victims.

Hundreds of bodies and human remains have been recovered from flood-affected districts, with some carried considerable distances downstream. The scale of the disaster has placed enormous pressure on local identification facilities, while additional forensic and DNA-testing support is being sought.

Families of missing people have gathered at hospitals, rescue centres and military bases, searching lists of survivors and recovered victims for information about relatives who remain unaccounted for.

International assistance grows

International support is also arriving as Nepal begins the enormous task of providing emergency assistance and planning for reconstruction.

India has deployed specialist rescue personnel and relief supplies, while China is assisting with tunnel rescue operations. Other countries and international organisations are also providing humanitarian assistance and specialist equipment.

The destruction of roads, bridges, homes, power infrastructure and hydropower facilities is expected to create a major long-term reconstruction challenge.

A race against time

For rescuers, the immediate priority remains finding those who may still be alive beneath collapsed structures and inside flooded tunnels.

For families, the operation is becoming a desperate search for answers.

Across the devastated river valleys, rescue workers continue digging through mud and debris while helicopters move between isolated communities. But with thousands still missing and the threat of further flooding and landslides, authorities face a race against time to locate survivors and recover those who did not make it.