Nepal raises flood death toll to 1,355 as nearly 5,000 remain missing

Nepal’s flood death toll has risen to 1,355, while 4,996 people remain missing nearly two weeks after the disaster swept through settlements near the border with Tibet, China. Thousands of rescuers continue searching for survivors.

The latest figure, released by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, was 14 higher than the previous day’s toll. At least 589 foreign nationals are among the missing, including two Spaniards. Identification remains a major challenge, and the government has so far returned only 98 bodies to their families.

Nepal has deployed 21,402 personnel from the army, police and armed forces in an unprecedented operation. The teams have rescued and brought 13,396 people to safety.

Hopes have risen in the disaster zone after four people were found alive in recent days. On Saturday, rescue teams recovered Chandrika Shrestha, a 64-year-old woman who survived for 11 days beneath a thick layer of mud inside her home at the Betrawati market in Nuwakot.

The neighboring Chinese region of Tibet was also badly hit by the mud and rock avalanche on Aug. 26. Authorities there reported 43 deaths and 519 people still missing.