KATHMANDU: A total of 11,993 people have been rescued following the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi River, while 4,216 people remain unaccounted for, according to the latest update.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said search operations for those still missing have been given high priority alongside ongoing rescue and relief efforts.
NDRRMA spokesperson Shanti Mahat said 21,314 security personnel from the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force Nepal have been deployed in the affected areas.
Of the personnel involved in search and rescue operations, 9,199 are from the Nepali Army, 7,912 from Nepal Police and 4,203 from the Armed Police Force Nepal.
Security personnel are conducting searches along riverbanks, affected settlements, roads and landslide-hit areas. However, the NDRRMA said damaged roads and infrastructure have made search and rescue operations difficult in several locations.
The death toll from the disaster has reached 1,204. Rescue and search efforts have been intensified across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Nawalparasi East, Nawalparasi West, Tanahun and Chitwan, among other affected districts.
According to Mahat, 115 bodies have been recovered in Rasuwa, 155 in Nuwakot, 60 in Dhading, 69 in Gorkha, 217 in Nawalparasi East, 202 in Nawalparasi West, 38 in Tanahun and 348 in Chitwan.
The Nepali Army has prioritized aerial rescue operations and has so far rescued 4,091 Nepali citizens and 273 foreign nationals.
The army has carried out 690 flights as part of search and rescue efforts, including 80 flights on Wednesday. The private sector has conducted an additional 29 air operations to assist rescue and relief efforts, with essential supplies being airlifted to remote areas and communities cut off by damaged roads.
The NDRRMA said 45 Nepali Army personnel, 25 Nepal Police personnel and 13 Armed Police Force personnel are among those reported missing. Fourteen Customs Office employees and three Immigration Office employees are also missing, along with around 865 people from Rasuwa.
The latest report further lists 1,558 people from Nuwakot, 583 foreign nationals and 164 Nepali citizens who were traveling with tourists as missing.
Around 900 hydropower project workers are also unaccounted for, along with three employees of Langtang National Park, three personnel from the Quarantine Office, seven elected representatives, 32 employees of local governments and subordinate agencies, and one private school employee.
The government continues to distribute food, non-food items, medicines and other health supplies in flood-affected areas while maintaining rescue and relief operations.
The NDRRMA said search and rescue efforts have been intensified because of the large number of people still missing and the extensive loss of life and property. Relief assistance, healthcare and access to essential supplies remain key priorities in the affected areas.
Security agencies, local governments and other government and humanitarian organizations continue to coordinate rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts, the NDRRMA said.
