Update (23:49 NST, October 2, 2026)
Nepal has shifted its flood response from search and rescue to ‘search and recovery’ operations, effective October 1, 2026, with plans to gradually reduce the number of security personnel involved. The confirmed death toll from the August 26, 2026, Rasuwa flood has risen to between 1,451 and 1,454 people as of October 1, 2026, according to data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) and Nepal Police. A total of 5,745 individuals remain missing as of October 2, 2026, according to the NDRRMA, an increase from the 5,285 Nepali citizens previously reported missing.
Among the missing are 403 foreign nationals, as reported by the Prime Minister’s Office of Nepal. This includes at least 47 American tourists, according to the Nepal Tourism Board, though the U.S. State Department stated it does not yet have an accurate figure for missing Americans. The Nepali Army has rescued 4,195 people as of October 2, 2026, comprising 3,912 Nepali and 283 foreign citizens. The U.S. State Department has pledged $500,000 in assistance through Catholic Relief Services for emergency shelter, relief items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene support.
Internationally, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has committed $5 million in budgetary support. Domestically, the Prime Minister’s Office has released Rs 1 billion from the disaster fund, and the Magar Association America has contributed Rs 3.03 million for flood victim relief and rehabilitation as of October 2, 2026. The government estimates that Rs 723.31 billion will be required for reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts, which will be led by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development.
Forensic testing is underway to identify the deceased, with 3,685 samples being processed at Nepal Police’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory and the National Forensic Science Laboratory. Prime Minister Balen Shah addressed the 81st United Nations General Assembly, highlighting the damage from the Bhote Koshi flood and linking it to the global climate crisis. Additionally, Dolprasad Aryal, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, is scheduled to raise Nepal’s disaster and climate change issues at the 153rd General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Tanzania on October 4, 2026.
Nepal’s government is advancing efforts to amend laws to simplify the process of declaring missing persons dead following the devastating Rasuwa flood, which left thousands of Nepalis and 54 Malaysian citizens unaccounted for. The move aims to alleviate the legal and practical difficulties faced by families seeking death certificates, insurance claims, and property transfers. Sobita Gautam, the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, affirmed that laws would apply equally to Nepali and foreign citizens affected by disasters. She shared this during a meeting with Mohammed Firdaus bin Ajman, the Acting Ambassador of Malaysia to Nepal. Minister Gautam informed Ambassador Ajman that the process to amend laws to facilitate the declaration of presumed death and the issuance of death certificates for those missing in floods is underway. Ambassador Ajman expressed sorrow over the human and material losses from the Rasuwa flood and praised the Nepal government’s search and rescue operations. Discussions also covered the legal and practical challenges faced by the families of the 54 missing Malaysian citizens and potential Nepal-Malaysia cooperation in disaster response. Representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), Nepal’s disaster management body, also attended the meeting. The catastrophic flood, which occurred on August 26, 2026, in the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa, affected dozens of settlements across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Tanahu, Nawalparasi, and Chitwan districts. According to September 28, 2026, data from the NDRRMA, 1,453 bodies have been recovered, while 5,285 Nepali citizens remain missing. The flood also caused extensive damage, including the complete destruction of the Kerung border point complex on the Nepal-China border. Families of the missing face significant legal and practical challenges, including obtaining death certificates, processing insurance claims, transferring property, and conducting banking transactions. The current Muluki Civil Code (Section 40) stipulates that a person is presumed dead only after being continuously missing for 12 years without notice under normal circumstances. While the code allows courts to declare death based on evidence in cases of disaster or accident, this process is often lengthy and burdensome, adding to the emotional and financial strain on affected families. This delay severely impacts insurance claims, property transfers, and the livelihoods of dependent families. To address these complexities, the government has drafted a ‘Bill to Amend Some Nepal Acts Related to Disaster’. The Ministry of Home Affairs sought public feedback on the bill until September 23, 2026. The proposed legislation aims to introduce special provisions in the Muluki Civil Code, the National Identity Card and Registration Act, and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act. The bill also proposes to streamline the process for identifying, safely storing, and handing over bodies of those who died in disasters to their families. Additionally, it seeks to provide minimum relief to the families of missing persons. The August 26, 2026, flood inflicted massive human and material damage across Nepal. Initial estimates on August 27, 2026, placed property damage at over Rs 200 billion. A September 11, 2026, report by Kantipur TV, however, estimated the total damage at Rs 700 billion, with Rs 473 billion in the infrastructure sector and Rs 390 billion in the energy sector. The flood damaged 7,570 private homes, 48 public buildings, 18 schools, seven health institutions, and 30 cultural heritage sites. In response, the Nepal Insurance Authority issued the ‘Rasuwa Flood Claim Payment Procedure, 2083’ on September 24, 2026. This procedure aims to ensure prompt and hassle-free insurance claim payments for flood victims. The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has declared the current fiscal year as the “Year of Lawmaking and Reform,” setting a target to register 166 bills in parliament. Approximately 54 of these bills have already been approved by the Council of Ministers and are in the process of being registered. Further information regarding the status of the 54 missing Malaysian citizens is not yet available. A definitive timeline for the passage of the law amendment bill through parliament has not been set. Furthermore, the detailed list of the 166 bills targeted for parliamentary registration by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has not been publicly disclosed.
