Three weeks after a catastrophic flash flood devastated parts of Nepal, military rescuers have recovered four bodies from the tunnel of a damaged hydropower plant. The recovery comes as search operations continue for thousands of people who remain missing following the late August disaster, prompting grieving families to demand official answers and death certificates from the government.
On Wednesday, the Nepalese army retrieved the four bodies from the Chilime Hydropower plant, located along the Trishuli River. The river burst its banks on August 26, causing widespread destruction. Meanwhile, Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported that five additional bodies have been located in a separate area, and specialized equipment is being dispatched to recover them.
According to the disaster management agency, the total number of recovered bodies has reached 1,403, while 6,150 people are still officially listed as missing. The massive scale of the disaster has put intense pressure on authorities to accelerate recovery operations inside the tunnels of the region's hydroelectric facilities.
Frustrated by the slow progress, families of the missing have staged rallies. Many are urging the government to officially declare their missing relatives dead. Receiving death certificates would allow families to initiate legal proceedings, perform traditional religious rites, and find emotional closure. At the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, the lobby walls are covered with photographs of hundreds of missing individuals as relatives gather in search of any news.
Usha Khatri is among those searching. Her husband, Indra Bahadur, was working as a cook for a group of pilgrims near the Nepal-China border when the flood struck. Since then, Khatri has traveled to multiple towns along the river where bodies have been recovered. "The government has not done much for us. They have not met us or given any information or any assurances. I am by myself searching for my husband," she said.
The disaster heavily impacted the country's energy infrastructure, damaging 13 hydropower plants. Many workers were swept away or trapped inside the facilities by rushing water and heavy debris. Although thick mud, debris, and destroyed infrastructure have severely hindered rescue operations, there have been occasional breakthroughs. On September 4, rescuers found two Nepali workers alive inside a tunnel, and a Chinese worker was rescued from a separate area the following day.
The government estimates that the total reconstruction cost for the country following the devastating floods will be approximately $4.78 billion.
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