KATHMANDU: The death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal has risen to 1,127, with Nepal Police reporting large-scale recovery of bodies from several affected districts on Wednesday.
According to police figures, 348 bodies have been recovered from Chitwan, 217 from Nawalparasi East, 190 from Nawalparasi West, 155 from Nuwakot, 66 from Gorkha, 59 from Dhading, 45 from Rasuwa and 38 from Tanahun.
Police also said nine bodies have been recovered in India.
Of the bodies recovered so far, only 95 have been identified and handed over to their families, highlighting the scale of the identification challenge facing authorities.
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah said a day earlier that bodies recovered in an unidentifiable condition were being handled in accordance with legal and scientific procedures.
He said DNA samples and other evidence were being preserved to aid identification, while identified bodies were being handed over to their families.
The Prime Minister said the process was being carried out with assistance from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said specialised international tunnel rescue teams from India and China have been mobilised alongside the Nepal Army at critical hydropower sites following the catastrophic Bhote Koshi River flash floods.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri said the immediate priority remained saving lives, locating missing persons, rescuing survivors and providing relief to both Nepali and foreign nationals affected by the disaster.
“As we have stated, our immediate national priority remains clear: to save lives, locate those who are missing, rescue survivors, provide urgent relief, and ensure that all affected people, both Nepali and foreign nationals, receive appropriate assistance and support,” Chhetri said.
Rescue operations remain focused on high-risk areas, including hydropower installations and subterranean sites where specialised technical intervention is required.
