KATHMANDU, Sept 5: The death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal climbed to 1,344 on Saturday after rescue teams recovered more bodies from the affected areas, Nepal Police said.
Data released by the Nepal Police showed that 843 complete bodies had been recovered, including 758 adults and 85 children. Authorities also retrieved 501 amputated remains from areas devastated by the floods.
The latest recoveries pushed the overall toll to 1,344 as emergency teams continued extensive search operations across the affected regions.
The disaster was triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, unleashing flash floods that swept through towns and villages in northern and central Nepal. The floods caused widespread destruction, damaged infrastructure and left thousands of people unaccounted for.
Authorities said 1,030 bodies recovered so far have been temporarily buried in accordance with established procedures, including the collection of DNA samples to assist with identification.
Joint rescue and search teams led by the Nepal Army remained engaged in operations on Saturday, marking the eleventh consecutive day of efforts to locate survivors and recover those still missing.
According to the latest official estimate, 4,898 people remain unaccounted for as teams continue to search flood-affected communities and other difficult to reach locations.
The authorities are expected to maintain recovery and identification efforts while assessing the full extent of the disaster and its impact on affected communities.