Nepal Releases List of 2,294 Missing Citizens, 171 Foreigners After Deadly August Floods

Nepal has released the names and details of 2,294 Nepali nationals and 171 foreign citizens who went missing after devastating floods swept through the Himalayan country on August 26, more than two months after the disaster claimed at least 1,455 lives.

The list, released by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Saturday, covers missing Nepali nationals from 32 districts and foreign citizens from seven countries. It comes a month after the government called off its 40-day search and rescue operation on October 5.

According to the authority, the list includes only those whose missing status has been verified by the respective District Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees. No details were immediately available about thousands of other people reported missing in the aftermath of the disaster.

Rasuwa district accounts for the highest number of missing Nepali nationals, with 1,538 people named on the list.

Among the 171 missing foreign nationals, 54 are from Malaysia and Ukraine, 33 from Australia, 11 from Russia, nine from South Korea, eight from Germany and two from Italy. India is not included in the list as the NDRRMA said it had not yet received a verified list of missing Indian nationals from the Indian Embassy.

The authority has asked individuals named in the list, or their immediate family members, to submit a claim within seven days if they are found to be alive or have been located.

The NDRRMA said it would issue a revised notice after receiving additional information from district administration offices and relevant diplomatic missions.

The devastating flash floods originated near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, triggering widespread destruction along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems. Floodwaters swept away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges, besides damaging several hydropower projects across northern and central Nepal.

The disaster left at least 1,455 people dead and 5,285 missing, according to the NDRRMA. Following the closure of the search operation on October 5, the government shifted its focus towards rehabilitation and reconstruction in the affected areas.