why are 5,000 flood victims still missing?

As of September 2026, over 5,130 people remain missing after the Bhote Koshi flood near the Nepal-China border. Despite recovery efforts that have found around 1,395 bodies, many victims are still unaccounted for due to the scale of the disaster and challenging terrain. Authorities have collected DNA samples from recovered bodies to help identify victims, but many families are still waiting for closure amid scarce updates. The prolonged uncertainty has also caused significant mental health challenges for the affected families.