Nepal Flood Disaster: Death Toll Reaches 788 as 2,502 Still Missing — Chinese Government Hands Over Rs 300 Million in Aid

31 August 2026 | Kathmandu, Rasuwa, Chitwan, Nuwakot — Updated 23:45 GMT

The death toll in the Bhotekoshi flood in Rasuwa has reached 788. According to Nepal Police, as of 3 pm on Sunday, the bodies of 13 people in Rasuwa, 50 in Dhading, 58 in Gorkha, 52 in Nuwakot, 264 in Chitwan, 37 in Tanahun, 194 in Nawalparasi East and 120 in Nawalparasi West have been found.

According to the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 2,502 people are still unaccounted for. 25 Nepal Police, 45 Nepal Army, 13 Armed Police Force Nepal, 15 Customs Office, 4 Immigration Office, 562 Rasuwa, 115 Nuwakot, 933 Hydropower Project, 65 Makawanpur, 59 foreign nationals, 127 people who went on a trip with foreign tourists, 3 from Langtang National Park and 3 from the Quarantine Office are uncontacted.

The Chinese government has handed over the cash aid announced for Nepal's flood victims. On Sunday, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming handed over a check for about 305 million Nepalese rupees (US$ 2 million) through Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle at the Ministry of Finance.

Welcome to the latest news — where rescue efforts, international aid, and the search for the missing continue across Nepal's devastated northern region.

Death Toll Climbs to 788 as 2,502 Remain Missing Across Nepal

The death toll in the Bhotekoshi flood in Rasuwa has reached 788. According to Nepal Police, as of 3 pm on Sunday, the bodies of 13 people in Rasuwa, 50 in Dhading, 58 in Gorkha, 52 in Nuwakot, 264 in Chitwan, 37 in Tanahun, 194 in Nawalparasi East and 120 in Nawalparasi West have been found.

According to the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 2,502 people are still unaccounted for. 25 Nepal Police, 45 Nepal Army, 13 Armed Police Force Nepal, 15 Customs Office, 4 Immigration Office, 562 Rasuwa, 115 Nuwakot, 933 Hydropower Project, 65 Makawanpur, 59 foreign nationals, 127 people who went on a trip with foreign tourists, 3 from Langtang National Park and 3 from the Quarantine Office are uncontacted.

According to the NRA, 8,730 people have been rescued so far.

100 of 201 Bodies Found in East Nawalparasi Managed in Community Forest

100 of the 201 bodies found in the Narayani River in East Nawalparasi after the Bhotekoshi flood were managed on Sunday.

38 bodies have been disposed of in a community forest in Kawasoti and 54 in the Divya Community Forest of Devchuli Municipality. The other 8 bodies have been handed over to relatives on the basis of identification. After the doctors at Madhyabindu Hospital completed the DNA testing process and postmortem work, the bodies were buried in a pit in the forest. Police have stated that all the bodies have been buried with identification marks (numbers).

China Hands Over Rs 300 Million in Aid as International Community Rallies Support

The Chinese government has handed over the cash aid announced for Nepal's flood victims. On Sunday, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming handed over a check for about 305 million Nepalese rupees (US$ 2 million) through Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle at the Ministry of Finance.

Similarly, Ambassador Maoming also handed over Rs 30.6 million (US$ 2 million) in cash provided by the Chinese Red Cross. Handing over the relief money, Ambassador Maoming said that both countries will work together to deal with the disaster that Nepal and China have suffered due to the massive flood in the Himalayan region.

Stating that the Chinese President and Prime Minister have sent the message that China is always with the Nepalese disaster, Ambassador Maoming informed that other types of aid provided by the Chinese government for Nepal have also started reaching Nepal. Today alone, two Chinese ships unloaded 50 tons of aid materials such as tents, blankets, sleeping bags, medical kits and biscuits in Kathmandu.

He also said that additional assistance will be provided continuously. He also informed the Finance Minister that efforts are being made to bring back Nepalese stranded in China due to the floods in Rasuwa through the Corolla checkpoint in Mustang. Similarly, informing that skilled manpower including a Chinese helicopter arrived in Nepal yesterday to rescue those trapped in the tunnel of the hydropower company, Ambassador Maoming said that some more skilled rescue technicians arrived in Nepal today.

He also informed the Finance Minister that the Chinese government is working fast to bring a drone that can carry a large amount of goods to Nepal, which the Nepalese government has requested for rescue.

Accepting the assistance from the Chinese government on behalf of the Nepalese government, Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle thanked the Chinese government for the assistance provided to Nepal, which has gone through an unimaginable disaster.

Stating that both countries have suffered huge human and material losses due to the disaster, he expressed deep sorrow on behalf of the Nepalese government for the losses suffered by China.

Finance Minister Dr. Wagle expressed his condolences to the Chinese citizens who lost their lives due to the floods and expressed his deep condolences to their families. Stating that the devastating damage caused by global warming is just the beginning for the countries in the Himalayan region, he said that Nepal and China need to work together to deal with it.

Wagle also said that he expects great support from China in the reconstruction of the damage Nepal has suffered due to this flood. At the Finance Minister's office where the aid handover program was held, Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming also observed a moment of silence to pay tribute to the citizens of both countries who lost their lives due to the floods.

Prithvi Highway Completely Blocked as Road Collapses at Multiple Locations

The Narayangadh-Muglin road section has been completely blocked due to the rapid erosion of the Trishuli River due to the devastating floods. The lower part of the road (jali and teko) has been eroding since the previous flood, but the main 'leg' (lower base) that supported the road was washed away by the flood on Sunday morning, completely bringing traffic to a standstill in the Krishnabhir area.

According to the Director General of the Roads Department, Dr. Vijay Jaisi, the road has been completely cut off at two places, Parewabhir and another Krishnabhir about 200 meters ahead of it.

The Director General of the Roads Department informed that excavators and technical teams of the Roads Department are deployed at the scene and studying it. However, the department has stated that there is no possibility of sending workers and machines down right now as the river erosion is still ongoing. He said that the exact time cannot be given until the river flow decreases and the erosion stops.

Due to the flood in Rasuwa, the Trishuli River washed away the lower foundation of about 20 to 50 meters of the Krishnabhir section, causing the road to be completely blocked in both directions.

Four Alternative Routes Recommended for Essential Supplies

Immediately after the road was washed away in Krishnabhir, the District Administration Office, Makawanpur, issued a notice stating that the road in the Krishnabhir area could not be operated until further notice due to the road being washed away. Since the Prithvi Highway is the main road connecting Kathmandu, the Road Department has urged the use of four alternative routes for essential supplies including gas, food and for general passengers.

Accordingly, it has been suggested that the Tribhuvan Highway, which comes to Kathmandu via Birgunj, Hetauda, Bhaise, Palung, and Naubise, be used especially for gas and essential freight vehicles. Similarly, the BP Highway coming to Kathmandu via Bardibas, Sindhuli, Khurkot, Dhulikhel, Kanti Lokpath coming through Hetauda, Bhaise, Tikabhairav and the road coming from Kulekhani area have been requested to be used as alternative routes.

Gas Cylinders to Be Transported by Truck from Tarai as Road Remains Blocked

Gas bullets will not come to Kathmandu from Monday after the landslide in Krishnabhir in Dhading blocked the Prithvi Highway. Gas cylinders filled in various gas industries in the Tarai will be brought to Kathmandu via trucks via Hetauda-Kulekhani and the by-road. Petrol, diesel and aviation fuel tankers will also move through this route.

Oil Corporation Executive Director Nagendra Sah said that since there is no possibility of gas bullets reaching Dhading and Kathmandu until the Prithvi Highway is operational, an alternative decision has been made to fill gas in Tarai industries and bring it to Kathmandu via trucks.

After the agreement was reached with the Oil Corporation on Sunday afternoon, the industrialists have also started their homework to bring gas through alternative routes, informed Diwan Chand, president of the Gas Industry Association. 'It did not seem possible to bring gas through the bullet until the Prithvi Highway is operational. Because, there is no way that the bullet with a capacity of 18 tons can come from other routes,' he said, 'The industrialists have started their homework to fill the gas in the Terai and bring it to Kathmandu.'

Gas Vendors Federation President Dnyaneshwor Aryal said that the general public should support the supply in the difficult situation. He said that he has instructed the dealers to provide gas targeting students, the poor and people living in rented houses.

'The gas that is currently coming, the dealer should identify the consumers who really need it and give it to them. Because, the dealer knows about each consumer,' he said, 'We will also circulate this matter on behalf of the federation. The government should also adopt a policy of providing gas to the general public rather than those with access.'

Terai Industries to Work 24 Hours a Day

The gas industries in the Tarai have made arrangements to work 24 hours a day in three shifts. Shiva Prasad Ghimire, who is also the former president of the Gas Industry Association, owns the Sahara Gas Industry in Hetauda. He informed that arrangements have been made to fill Everest and Sugam Gas, which are owned by him, at Sahara Gas in Hetauda.

Nepal Gas has also made arrangements to fill cylinders at its own industry in Chitwan. Sagar Gas is going to fill cylinders at the Chandeshwari Gas Industry in Nawalparasi. Since Baba and Shree Gas industries are in Chitwan, they will fill the cylinders there and transport them in trucks. Shree Ram Gas will fill the gas at the Janaki Industry in Dhanusha and Manoj Gas will fill the gas at its own industry in Birgunj and bring it to Kathmandu.

Over 500 Workers Still Trapped in Hydropower Tunnels After Five Days

An estimated 500 workers and employees trapped in the tunnels of the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli hydropower projects in the Trishuli river area have not been rescued even after five days. Rescuers from the two countries have only been deployed since Sunday after the government belatedly granted permission to the Indian and Chinese sides for the rescue.

According to data analysis by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Nepal Electricity Authority and Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal (IPPAN), around 1,000 people are unaccounted for in various hydropower projects. They are workers, employees and engineers at the project headquarters, powerhouses, tunnels, employee accommodation areas and other places. More than 500 of them are inside the project tunnels.

According to the authority, 279 people from those projects have been rescued. The Upper Trishuli 1, Trishuli 3 'A', Upper Trishuli 3 'B', Chilime, Langtang and Rasuwagadhi hydropower plants have been damaged by the flood.

576 Unaccounted for in Upper Trishuli 1, Over 300 in Tunnels

According to data from the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal (IPPAN), 576 people are unaccounted for in Upper Trishuli 1, of which more than 300 are estimated to be trapped in the tunnels. Others have gone missing from powerhouses, residential areas and other places.

Giriraj Adhikari, the project's project manager, said 576 employees are unaccounted for. "Earlier, 254 people were rescued from the dam and other areas, but 576 are still unaccounted for," he said. "More than 300 of them are estimated to be in the tunnels."

The 216-megawatt project, with a Korean investment of Rs 65 billion, was in the final stages of construction. More than 1,000 employees were mobilized to make the project operational within a year, with 86 percent of the work completed. So far, 254 people, including 10 Koreans, have been rescued after the flood.

The nearly 10-kilometer-long tunnel of the project has been broken through, so oxygen flows inside the tunnel. Which makes life inside the tunnel relatively easy. However, the Chinese rescue team has started searching since Thursday.

42 Employees Uncontacted in Upper Trishuli-3 'A', 35 Inside Tunnel

42 people are uncontacted in Trishuli-3 'A', of which 35 are said to be inside the tunnel. This project, which has already come into operation, belongs to the Electricity Authority. 42 workers were on the project for maintenance. Although the army and technicians tried to rescue them, they could not identify the mouth of the tunnel, but they managed to reach the 'crown head' (the main part of the tunnel) on Sunday afternoon and make a hole.

When the rescue team went down with the help of ropes and called, there was no response from inside, so they are working on blasting and widening the hole further. After cleaning the tunnel, preparations are underway to send rescue workers with oxygen into the tunnel. They will have cameras so that the actual situation inside can be observed from outside.

---

Stay updated with the latest news, disaster developments, and breaking stories on our World News Page.