The death toll due to the devastating flash floods in Nepal rose to 1,259 on Thursday (September 3, 2026) as the disaster authority also reported a sharp rise in the number of missing, at 5,083.
More bodies were recovered from the affected areas, while risks of fresh floods loomed due to incessant rainfall in the upstream areas of the Bhotekoshi River.
Nepal flash floods aftermath LIVE updates – September 3, 2026
Chinese state media reported 21 people killed in Tibet and 541 missing, taking the total toll from the August 26 disaster to 1,280 dead and 5,624 missing.
As the upstream areas of the Bhotekoshi River are continuously receiving rainfall on Thursday (September 3, 2025), there is the possibility of rising water levels in Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers as well as small rivers and rivulets flowing through Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, said Saraswati Bishta, a technician at the Flood Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
The people residing in the surrounding areas and downstream of the river are urged to remain vigilant, she said.
There is a middle-level risk associated with flash floods in rivers situated in various districts mainly those in the hilly region, including Taplejung, Panchthar, Terhathum, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha, Okhaldhunga, Udaypur, Chitawan, Gorkha, Tanahu, Lamjung, Manang, Mustang, Myagdi, Kaski, Syangja, Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, she said.
Similarly, rivers situated in mountain regions including Kalikot, Humla, Jumla, Dailekh, Darchula, Baitadi and Kalikot districts are also swelling resulting in some risks associated to flash flood, she added.
According to the data released by Nepal Police on Thursday (September 3, 2026), 355 bodies have been recovered from Chitawan district, 218 from Nawalparasi East, 208 from Nawalparasi West, including 18 recovered from India and handed over to Nawalparasi West, and 177 from Nuwakot.
Similarly, 127 bodies were recovered from Rasuwa district, 69 from Gorkha, 60 from Dhading and 38 from Tahanu.
The floods have changed the landscape of the valleys of Rasuwa and Nuwakot, with helicopter pilots relying on their own discipline and judgement to navigate the steep terrain because riverbanks and familiar landmarks have disappeared, the Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.
Meanwhile, around 100 Nepalese nationals have been missing in Tibet following the devastating flash floods, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri has said. Around 3,000 Nepalese nationals who entered Tibet for pilgrimage and business purposes were stranded in Tibet.
More than 2,500 of them have safely returned to Nepal through Hilsa and Tatopani border points, said Mr. Chhetri, adding that some of them also returned by air.
There are still around 1,500 Nepalese nationals stranded at the Kerung border point of Tibet. Officials of the two countries are holding consultations regarding ways to evacuate them safely to Nepal, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
Published – September 03, 2026 10:09 pm IST
