Officials stated on Monday that Nepal has concluded search and rescue operations for those missing after the August floods. Teams completed ground surveys and recovered some people, then handed duties back to local agencies as the weather stabilized. The operation marked the formal close to the response phase.
The floods in August claimed at least 1,455 lives, according to initial reports. The tally reflects verified fatalities and the disaster’s wide impact across districts. Authorities note ongoing needs for assistance as communities begin rebuilding.
At least 5,285 people went missing after the floods struck on August 26 along Nepal’s border with China’s Tibet region.
13,795 people were rescued.
“We are moving beyond the search and rescue phase toward the search and rehabilitation phase,” Phanindra Paudel, chief of the National Emergency Operation Center, told Reuters.
Officials are examining the legal steps required to declare the missing persons dead, so their families or relatives can finish insurance claims, settle bank accounts, update records, settle debts, and complete other required formal procedures.
Paudel said that they are initiating the due process to complete the necessary legal formalities, and that these steps are intended to help families move forward with claims, paperwork, and other essential arrangements.
Dharma Raj Upreti, chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, stated officials would not search for bodies. They would recover any remains, property, or other valuables found during the rehabilitation process.
Upreti added that emergency rescue operations would still be conducted if the need arose.
The floods also destroyed 12 hydropower projects, roads, bridges, farmlands, and settlements.
Officials say they require approximately $5 billion for the swift recovery.
Rehabilitation will support the thousands of people displaced by the floods.