Nepal Calls Off Search and Rescue Operations After Devastating August Floods; 1,455 Dead, 5,285 Missing
Authorities say the focus will now shift to rehabilitation after the disaster left at least 1,455 people dead and 5,285 others missing.
- Nepal ends active search and rescue operations
- Floods killed at least 1,455 people
- 5,285 people remain missing
Nepal has called off active search and rescue operations following devastating floods in August that killed at least 1,455 people and left 5,285 others missing.
Chief of the National Emergency Operation Centre, Phanindra Paudel, said the country was moving from the search and rescue phase to rehabilitation.
“We are moving from the search and rescue phase to the search and rehabilitation phase,” he said.
Authorities are also considering the legal process for declaring missing persons dead, a move that would allow their families to complete insurance, banking and other legal formalities.
Chief of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Dharam Raj Uprety, said authorities would no longer conduct active searches for bodies.
However, any remains, property or valuables discovered during the rehabilitation process would still be recovered.
He added that emergency rescue operations would continue if necessary.
The disaster was triggered on August 26 when a glacier collapsed along the Nepal-China border, sending a massive torrent of rocks, ice, mud and debris through Himalayan rivers.
The resulting floods swept through communities, with thousands of pilgrims and tourists in the affected areas at the time.
Among those still missing are 56 Ukrainian citizens.
