Kathmandu | The death toll from the devastating flood that swept through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems has reached 669, Nepal Police said on Saturday.
According to an official bulletin issued by Nepal Police, 669 bodies had been recovered from flood-affected districts as of 3:30 pm on August 29. Police spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Abinarayan Kafle confirmed the same figure during an update issued around 4 pm.
Chitwan has recorded the highest number of recovered bodies, with 248 found in the district. A further 158 bodies have been recovered in East Nawalparasi, 75 in West Nawalparasi, 54 in Gorkha, 49 in Dhading, 41 in Nuwakot, 31 in Tanahun and 13 in Rasuwa.
The district-wise figures represent locations where bodies were recovered after being swept downstream and do not necessarily indicate where the victims were initially caught in the flood.
The latest police figure is 43 higher than the 626 bodies reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority at 10 am on Saturday. However, Nuwakot’s figure was revised from 51 to 41 during the reconciliation of reports collected from different agencies and districts.
Police Records 2,301 Rescues
Nepal Police said 2,301 people had been rescued from the affected areas under its district-based operational record.
Of those rescued, 1,622 were evacuated from Nuwakot, 676 from Rasuwa and three from Dhading. Critically injured people and those requiring specialised medical care were transported to Kathmandu by helicopters and ambulances.
Police said 140 flood survivors have either received treatment or been discharged from different hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley. The figure includes both patients currently undergoing treatment and those who have already returned home.
The police rescue figure should not be confused with broader multi-agency totals published by the disaster authority or individual security agencies. The figures may differ because agencies use different reporting periods, operational categories and methods of compiling rescue records.
Search and rescue teams from Nepal Police, the Nepali Army and the Armed Police Force remain deployed across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and downstream districts. The teams are continuing searches for missing people, collecting and identifying bodies, transporting injured survivors and delivering relief supplies to communities cut off by damaged roads and communication networks.
Authorities have said casualty and rescue figures may change as operations continue and district-level records are verified.
Official source: Nepal Police flood update
