For families across Nepal, the search has become a race against time. Rescue teams are moving through mud, debris and damaged tunnels, while relatives wait for news of people who disappeared when devastating floods swept through parts of the Himalayan country last week.
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its latest briefing on Tuesday that 1,010 bodies had been recovered, around 4,000 people remained unaccounted for and more than 11,800 people had been rescued. The ministry said the figures were continuing to be updated as search teams reached more affected areas and worked to verify reports of missing people.
The disaster began on August 26 after a collapse of ice and rock in the Himalayan region sent a massive surge of water and debris downstream. Floodwaters tore through settlements, damaged roads and bridges and badly affected hydropower facilities, leaving some communities cut off and making access difficult for rescue teams.
Some of the most urgent searches are now taking place underground.
Several hydropower projects have been badly affected, with workers feared trapped inside tunnels blocked by mud and debris. Rescue teams are using heavy equipment to clear entrances and reach deeper sections, but unstable ground and damaged access roads have slowed the operation.
More than 21,000 personnel from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have been deployed for search, rescue, evacuation and relief work, according to the Foreign Ministry. Helicopters are being used to reach isolated communities, evacuate survivors and move equipment into areas where roads have been destroyed.
The missing include Nepalese citizens as well as foreign nationals, tourists, guides and workers. Nepalese authorities said around 590 foreign nationals from 39 countries remained missing, adding an international dimension to an already enormous rescue operation.
For families still waiting, the uncertainty is becoming harder to bear. Some recovered bodies cannot be identified immediately, and authorities have begun using forensic procedures, including DNA testing, to establish identities.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said Tuesday that Nepal was following a formal procedure for handing over the remains of foreign nationals. The process includes post-mortem examinations, identification and forensic sampling, followed by verification of passports or other documents. Where visual identification is not possible, DNA samples from close relatives will be used.
India has also become directly involved in the rescue effort. Indian technical teams are working alongside the Nepal Army at damaged hydropower sites. At the Langtang project, the joint team has advanced 185 metres into a tunnel while searching for workers who may still be trapped. Rescue teams have also been working at the Chilime project in difficult mountain conditions.
The disaster is being closely watched in India for another reason. Rivers flowing from Nepal into northern India mean that major flooding upstream can quickly become a concern for communities across the border.
The Central Water Commission had warned of rising water levels in the Gandak river system, prompting authorities in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to remain alert. India’s Ministry of Home Affairs said on August 26 that state authorities and National Disaster Response Force teams had been placed on alert in vulnerable areas.
Inside Nepal, the destruction of roads, bridges and communications is making relief work harder. Restoring those links is now essential for getting food, medicines and other supplies to isolated communities and allowing displaced families to begin returning home.
International assistance is also being expanded. Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said specialised personnel and equipment from countries including India, China and South Korea were supporting rescue operations. Additional help is being sought for tunnel rescue, forensic identification, DNA testing and the eventual reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.
The full extent of the disaster is still emerging. Rescue teams continue to reach areas that were inaccessible in the first days, meaning the number of deaths and missing people could change as authorities complete verification.
But behind every figure is a family still waiting for an answer.
For some, that answer may come from a rescue team reaching a damaged tunnel or an isolated village. For others, it may come through the difficult process of identifying recovered remains.
The floodwaters may be receding, but Nepal’s emergency is far from over. The immediate task remains finding those who are missing, bringing survivors to safety and reaching communities that are still cut off.
For thousands of families, the search continues with one hope above everything else: that the next update brings news of someone they have been waiting for.
