Nepal Flash Floods Death Toll Climbs to 626 As Rescue Teams Evacuate 2,465

The death toll from severe flash floods in central Nepal has climbed to 626, with rescue operations entering their fourth day on Saturday. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), nearly 2,000 people remain missing across the affected regions.

The flash floods struck Rasuwa and several other central districts on Wednesday, causing heavy casualties and extensive destruction to homes, highways, bridges, and hydropower facilities. On Friday, the NDRRMA cautioned that rising water levels at flood sites had heightened the risk of further flooding.

Search and relief personnel have recovered bodies across eight districts of the country. These include 233 bodies in Chitwan, 158 in Nawalparasi East, 51 in Nuwakot, 48 in Gorkha, 47 in Nawalparasi West, 45 in Dhading, 31 in Tanahu, and 13 in Rasuwa.

According to the Nepal Army's Public Relations Directorate, rescue personnel have evacuated 2,465 stranded individuals so far. Among the rescued are 163 foreign nationals, comprising 113 Indians, 26 Chinese, 15 South Koreans, four Germans, two Italians, two Americans, and one citizen of Oman.

Helicopters were deployed to airlift 2,265 people to safety, while 200 were brought out via land routes. In Trishuli and Rasuwa, rescue teams extracted 191 workers trapped inside the tunnels of various hydropower projects.

Emergency medical centres established at Dhunche and Trishuli have administered treatment to 1,706 people evacuated from flood-hit zones. In a development that brought relief to stranded travelers, Nepal Police confirmed that the Mugling-Kathmandu highway resumed vehicular movement on Saturday after remaining shut since Wednesday due to landslide and flood risks.

Meanwhile, contributions to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (PMDRF) surpassed Rs 2.295 billion by Friday night, raising the total balance to Rs 4.09 billion. The Ministry of Finance has been designated to oversee and coordinate donations deposited into accounts across 10 commercial banks.