Nepal struggles to preserve recovered bodies as flood toll touches 788

Four days after the flood in Nepal, the death toll in the disaster reached 788, and 2,502 people remained missing even as the preservation of recovered bodies became a challenge for the authorities, who continued with the rescue efforts.

Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said Nepal urgently required freezer units and DNA-testing kits, warning that the bodies must be preserved and identified quickly to prevent decomposition and contain public-health risks. He said the government is “putting all our resources at disposal in relief and rescue operations.”

“We have requested several countries. Some other immediate requirements, like airtight bags for storing bodies, have started to arrive and other equipment are expected to arrive soon,” he said.

Nepal flash floods LIVE updates on August 30, 2026

More than 900 workers are missing from hydropower sites, and officials believe around 100 people trapped inside tunnels are alive. Mr. Rai said experts from India, China, and South Korea joined the Nepal Army’s efforts in rescuing these workers.

The Nepal Army said that after floodwaters receded, its rescue teams resumed efforts to locate tunnel entrances using drilling machines, excavators, hydraulic cutters and other heavy equipment.

Authorities also began mass burials of unidentified bodies in Chitwan, around 200 km from Rasuwa, on Saturday (August 29, 2026) after collecting DNA samples so that the remains can be exhumed if the victims are identified. Madan Lama, an information officer at the District Administration Office in Chitwan, said around 170 bodies had been buried since Saturday (August 29, 2026), including 96 on the first day, after collecting DNA samples.

An Indian forensic team specialising in DNA testing and analysis arrived to support health officials in collecting samples.

India’s External Affairs Ministry said in New Delhi on Saturday (August 29) that more than 275 Indians and 128 persons of Indian origin remained missing. On Sunday (August 30, 2026), it shared a list of 149 people who were rescued. The Nepal Tourism Board said 591 foreign nationals remain missing and 289 have been rescued, including 180 Indian and 89 Chinese nationals.

Earlier on Sunday (August 30, 2026), authorities warned of possible fresh flooding and urged residents in affected districts to remain on high alert as water levels rose in the Bhotekoshi River.

Prakash Pokharel, a geologist and researcher at the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority, said flood warnings had been sent to people’s phones. He said the immediate risk later eased after the rain receded and a barrier lake that had formed in Gyirong county in Tibet fully drained.

The flood, triggered by a glacial collapse, left hundreds missing on the Tibetan side, where Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 people unaccounted for. It remains unclear whether some of those missing on the Chinese side are Nepali citizens. Asked about the status of Nepali citizens in the disaster-hit area of Tibet, Mr. Rai said China has provided a list that will be updated.

The disaster struck on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) when a glacial collapse near the Nepal-China border in Rasuwa district triggered a massive surge of water, mud and debris through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems.