Rasuwa Flood Death Toll Reaches 258, Over 900 Still Missing

At least 258 people have been confirmed dead following the devastating floods in Rasuwa and other affected areas, while 910 people remain missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). NDRRMA spokesperson Shanti Mahat said that as of 2 p.m. Thursday, authorities had recovered 258 bodies across the country. Chitwan recorded the highest number of fatalities with 108 bodies, followed by Nawalparasi East with 62, Dhading with 27, Gorkha with 20, Nawalparasi West with 15, Nuwakot and Tanahun with 12 each, and Rasuwa with two bodies recovered. Among those reported missing are 28 Nepal Police personnel, 44 members of the Nepali Army, 13 Armed Police Force personnel, 15 officials from customs offices, and four officials from immigration offices. In addition, 161 residents of Rasuwa and one person from Nuwakot have been reported missing. The disaster has also left 517 foreign nationals from 35 countries unaccounted for. Similarly, 127 Nepali citizens who reside abroad and were visiting Nepal at the time of the disaster have been reported missing, according to NDRRMA. Mahat said more than 9,000 security personnel from Nepal’s three security agencies have been deployed for search and rescue operations. The deployment includes 3,318 personnel from Nepal Police, 4,200 from the Nepali Army, and 1,742 from the Armed Police Force. As of 2 p.m. Thursday, 351 people affected by the disaster had been rescued by helicopter. A total of 69 aerial rescue flights were conducted on Thursday alone, including the rescue of 46 foreign nationals. NDRRMA said search and rescue operations are continuing in the affected areas, with security agencies and other authorities working to locate missing persons and provide assistance to those stranded by the floods.