Army personnel help people who were airlifted from a site affected by flash floods and a mudslide at the Maithili Barrack, an army training center, in Trishuli, Nuwakot District, Nepal, on Aug. 30, 2026. (Reuters/Yonhap)
More than 800 people have died and over 3,000 remain missing after a catastrophic flood swept through the Himalayas along the Nepal-China border Wednesday, as rescue crews race to find survivors and recover and identify the rapidly increasing number of bodies.According to figures from Nepali and Chinese authorities released Sunday, at least 804 people have been confirmed dead and another 3,048 missing. The death toll has risen to at least 788 in Nepal, where 2,502 people — including 592 foreign nationals — are still missing. In Tibet, China reports 16 deaths and 546 missing people, including 261 foreign nationals.With hundreds of bodies being recovered each day as searches continue, authorities face growing struggles in storing and identifying the deceased. Local authorities cited a “risk to public health” before burying 96 unidentified bodies, Reuters reported, saying Nepal planned to bury more than 100 others as hospital morgues around the nation overflow. The Nepal government has requested international support to prevent bodies from decomposing and help families identify their loved ones, asking countries to provide over 1,000 freezer units and DNA testing equipment. Each recovered body will have an identification file, complete with a DNA sample and photograph. Once the remains are identified, they will be handed over to the surviving family and given a Hindu cremation ceremony.
