Nepal is winding down the massive hunt for the thousands still unaccounted for after August’s devastating floods, shifting its focus to rebuilding shattered communities and restoring critical infrastructure.
The office of Prime Minister Balendra Shah confirmed the nationwide search and rescue operation will end.
Authorities said they will instead prioritise rehabilitation and reconstruction work, including repairing roads and bridges severed by the floods on 26 August.
The decision comes as families of victims have staged protests and held vigils across Nepal, urging the government to strengthen search efforts.
Rescuers have recovered the bodies of at least 1,455 people, while 5,285 remain missing, including hundreds of foreign nationals.
Another 13,795 people were rescued.
“We are moving from the search and rescue phase to the search and rehabilitation phase,” said Phanindra Paudel, head of the National Emergency Operation Centre.
Candles are lit during a vigil in the capital Kathmandu to remember those affected by the floods
Mr Paudel said officials are also weighing how to legally declare missing people dead, a step that would enable families and relatives to settle insurance claims, banking matters and other legal requirements.
“We are initiating due processes to complete required legal formalities,” Mr Paudel said.
Dharam Raj Uprety, head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said the government will no longer conduct active searches for bodies.
He said teams will still retrieve any remains, property or other valuables uncovered during rehabilitation work.
Emergency rescues will continue where needed, Mr Uprety added.
Read more:
‘Everything is lost’ – Inside Nepal’s devastated flood zone
How a glacier collapse may have caused Nepal-Tibet floods
The floods destroyed 12 hydroelectric projects, along with roads, bridges, farms and settlements, compounding the country’s recovery challenge.Officials have said early recovery and rehabilitation for the thousands displaced will require billions of euro.
