KATHMANDU / RankWire.AI / – Nepal has increased the tally of missing persons to 6,150 after further district-level verification of data following the Aug. 26 floods. The earlier figure was 5,179, so authorities have added 971 names to the national count. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority announced the updated numbers as search and identification efforts persisted. Since the disaster, 1,403 bodies have been recovered, with 105 victims officially identified.
Forensic teams have collected 3,175 DNA samples as officials continue efforts to identify victims and update missing-person records. This total comprises 1,286 samples from recovered bodies and 1,889 from relatives of the missing. Since the event, authorities have rescued 13,742 individuals in northern Nepal. Additionally, 587 foreign nationals remain listed as missing. These figures highlight the extensive search operations across remote mountain districts and communities impacted by floodwaters and debris.
Rasuwa accounts for 2,679 missing persons, while Nuwakot reports 1,787. Both districts experienced severe damage during the late-August flooding. Floodwaters and debris destroyed roads, homes, bridges, and other infrastructure throughout the region. Search teams have navigated river valleys and affected settlements, with authorities reviewing local records. Officials are cross-referencing family reports, district data, and forensic evidence to update the national count.
Authorities broaden the tally of missing individuals
The disaster originated from a significant rock and ice collapse on Langtang Lirung, which triggered a powerful debris flow. This flow entered the Bhotekoshi river system and traveled downstream through affected communities. Rasuwa, near Nepal’s border with China, experienced some of the most severe losses. Nuwakot and Dhading also faced substantial impacts, with the flooding damaging homes, transportation routes, and hydropower facilities. Large-scale rescue operations were launched in challenging mountain terrain.
According to official data, helicopters have conducted 1,923 flights in support of rescue and relief efforts. Authorities have also set up 29 holding centers for displaced or affected individuals, recording 2,096 people in the latest figures. Nepal Police has played a key role in supporting rescue, relief, and community aid initiatives across impacted areas. Search teams and forensic specialists continue analyzing records and samples related to those still listed as missing.
DNA analysis aids victim identification process
The rise from 5,179 to 6,150 missing persons results from ongoing collection and verification efforts in affected districts. Authorities differentiate confirmed fatalities from missing persons and formally identified victims. DNA matching remains crucial for identifying recovered bodies, with samples compared against those provided by relatives. As of now, only 105 of the 1,403 recovered bodies have been officially identified in the latest data.
The disaster also led to casualties in China, where officials reported 43 deaths and 519 missing individuals. The combined toll for Nepal and China stands at 1,446 confirmed deaths and at least 6,669 missing people. Nepal’s latest verified figures continue to be 6,150 missing persons and 1,403 bodies recovered. Search, recovery, and forensic work remain active across the affected districts as authorities continue reviewing district reports, family data, and forensic records to maintain an accurate official record of the disaster.