Kathmandu, August 31
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) has said it is still difficult to determine the exact number of people missing in the Rasuwa floods.
NDRRMA spokesperson Shanti Mahat said it remained difficult to establish the precise number of people missing in the disaster. She said authorities are currently collecting information from local governments, district administration offices, Nepal Police, the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, national parks and hydropower projects, among other concerned agencies.
According to her, based on information received from official agencies as of 9 am Monday, 4,202 people are missing. Mahat said the figure could change as search and rescue operations are still underway.
“It is somewhat difficult for us to determine the exact number of missing people at the moment. We are collecting figures from local governments, the Chief District Officer’s office and various official agencies, including Nepal Police, the Nepal Army, the Armed Police Force, national parks and hydropower projects. We are referring to an approximate figure because we still do not know the exact number of missing people,” she said.
Meanwhile, rescue operations are continuing at various hydropower projects and tunnels. According to Mahat, 289 people have been rescued from hydropower tunnels alone. An additional 22 people—15 Chinese nationals and seven Indians—were rescued from hydropower project areas on Sunday. She said rescue operations were continuing on Monday as well.
Mahat said authorities had not yet received separate details regarding the damage at the Langtang Hydropower Project.
“Searches for missing people are continuing. There may be additional people to be accounted for, and it is difficult for us to say exactly how many of those reported missing are actually missing. We are trying to provide updates as much as possible,” she said.
So far, the bodies of 903 people who died in the Rasuwa floods have been recovered. More than 10,000 people have been rescued, while 267 injured people have returned home after receiving treatment. A total of 20,819 security personnel have been mobilised to search for people who remain unaccounted for.
The authority said road and communication services disrupted by the disaster have also been restored in most areas. NDRRMA spokesperson Mahat said alternative routes had been identified to facilitate road travel.
The authority has formed and mobilised around 14 separate task forces for disaster management. Mahat said separate teams have been working since Thursday on rescue operations, relief distribution, helicopter management, body management, and international assistance and coordination.
