Nepal floods: Toll hits 1,282, around 600 children missing in Rasuwa and Nuwakot

The death toll from the flash floods in Nepal rose to 1,282 on Friday, September 4, 2026, with nearly 4,800 people still missing. In the mountain districts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot, around 600 children remain unaccounted for, according to local education officials.

The floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages across northern and central Nepal. A joint command of security forces is conducting search and rescue operations in affected areas.

Nepal Police said 359 bodies have been recovered in Chitwan, 218 in Nawalparasi East, 208 in Nawalparasi West, 185 in Nuwakot, 72 in Gorkha, 60 in Dhading, 140 in Rasuwa and 38 in Tanahu. Two more people died while undergoing treatment in Kathmandu hospitals, taking the official toll to 1,282.

Children are among the worst affected. Preliminary records compiled by the Education Development and Coordination Units (EDCUs), local governments and educational institutions indicate that an estimated 280 children are missing in Rasuwa, while between 300 and 350 remain unaccounted for in neighbouring Nuwakot district. These figures have not yet been fully verified.

Surya Bahadur Khatri, head of the Nuwakot EDCU, said officials are working to collect reliable data on missing students. “We are actively liaising with headmasters to collect verified data, though school heads are struggling to provide exact figures due to broken communications,” he said. “Although a few missing students have been located, new reports of unaccounted-for children continue to arrive from various schools. We estimate that at least 300 pupils are missing in our district.”

In Bidur Municipality of Nuwakot alone, about 250 children have been missing since the floods hit, according to Navaraj Sapkota, school inspector of the municipality's education unit. “The situation on the ground is deeply distressing. In some cases, we have located surviving parents who cannot find their children, while in other instances, surviving students are searching for missing parents,” he said. Bidur has 170 educational institutions — 142 community schools and 28 private schools.

In Rasuwa, Durga Prasad Silwal, chief of the local education unit, said official verification is ongoing. Preliminary records indicate 280 students are currently missing across the district.

The disaster has also affected teachers and school staff. Education units confirmed that 22 teachers and school staff members remain missing across both districts. Rasuwa reported 16 missing teachers — 15 from community schools and one from a private institution — while Nuwakot confirmed six missing teachers. Additionally, several teachers from Dhading and Gorkha who had travelled to Rasuwa for pilgrimage were caught in the deluge and remain missing.

According to the Ministry of Education, the floods affected 22 schools across Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, with 12 institutions completely destroyed. Authorities have yet to verify the exact number of identified students or teachers among the dead. The disaster has left families separated and communities grappling with an uncertain future.

Officials say the figures are likely to change as communication networks are restored and search teams reach isolated areas. They have urged the public to remain patient while rescue and identification work continues.