Kathmandu, September 17, 2026: Nepal’s devastating late-August flood disaster has taken another grim turn after authorities revised the number of people reported missing to 6,150, nearly 1,000 higher than the previous figure. The revision followed fresh verification of records collected from districts affected by the disaster.

The disaster began on August 26 after a major collapse involving rock, ice and glacial material triggered destructive flooding along the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river corridor. Large areas were hit by floodwaters and debris, while hydropower facilities and transportation infrastructure suffered extensive damage.

Search teams are continuing operations in particularly difficult locations, including underground hydropower tunnels in Rasuwa. On Wednesday, rescuers recovered bodies from the Chilime and Upper Trishuli-1 projects while searching for workers who had been trapped when floodwaters and debris entered the facilities.

At Chilime, rescue personnel, including specialised Indian personnel working alongside Nepali teams, reached deeper sections of the underground facility after manually clearing the final stretch when heavy equipment could no longer proceed. Search operations were continuing for people still believed to be inside.

The humanitarian situation has been complicated by the large number of unidentified victims. Authorities have been collecting DNA samples from recovered bodies and relatives of missing people as part of efforts to establish identities and provide families with definitive information.

A separate scientific assessment released this week has also examined the environmental factors behind the disaster. Researchers concluded that long-term warming, glacier retreat and thawing permafrost likely increased the instability of the Himalayan terrain, although climate change was not identified as the sole cause. The researchers also pointed to other geological factors, including the possible influence of the 2015 earthquake.

Meanwhile, Nepal continues to deal with damaged roads and infrastructure. Some important routes have reopened after emergency repairs, while landslides and erosion continue to disrupt transportation in several areas.

The latest figures underline the continuing scale of Nepal’s disaster recovery operation. Rescue teams remain focused on searching damaged infrastructure, identifying recovered victims and providing assistance to communities affected by the floods.