By The South Asia Times

KATHMANDU — The death toll from a devastating flood in Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district and subsequent flooding downstream has risen to 626, while 2,426 people remain unaccounted for, The Kathmandu Post reported on Saturday, citing the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).

The disaster struck on Wednesday, sending a powerful surge of water and debris into the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems and causing widespread destruction across northern and central Nepal.

According to the latest NDRRMA update issued at 10 a.m. Saturday, 4,451 people have been rescued, while 101 injured people are receiving treatment in hospitals. Twenty-seven police personnel are also among those reported missing.

Authorities have mobilised 15,224 security personnel to carry out search, rescue and relief operations in the affected areas.

Police had recovered 616 bodies by 6 a.m. Saturday, with the largest numbers found in Chitwan, Nawalparasi East and Gorkha. The national death toll was subsequently revised upward to 626 as authorities continued recovering victims.

The Kathmandu Post reported that police and other rescue teams are continuing searches across the affected districts, working with local residents and other agencies to locate people still missing and assist communities cut off by the disaster.

The floods swept away homes, bridges, roads and other infrastructure, leaving several communities and travellers stranded and disrupting transportation links.

Authorities are also relocating families from areas considered at high risk to safer locations, while emergency teams work to clear roads blocked by flood debris and landslides. Restoring road access is considered crucial for delivering relief supplies and reaching isolated communities.

The disaster began in Rasuwa and neighbouring districts in northern Nepal, where floodwaters and debris surged into the Bhotekoshi River before affecting areas farther downstream along the Trishuli river system.

The scale of the disaster has made the search for missing people particularly difficult, with rescue teams required to operate across large areas affected by flooding, landslides and damaged infrastructure.

The Kathmandu Post also reported that Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology reached a similar assessment after analysing satellite imagery shared by the Chinese side.

With 2,426 people still unaccounted for, authorities expect the death toll to increase as search teams reach previously inaccessible locations and recover additional bodies.

The disaster has become one of Nepal’s most severe recent flood emergencies, highlighting the vulnerability of communities living along major river systems to sudden and destructive flooding.

Search, rescue and relief operations were continuing across northern and central Nepal on Saturday.