RASUWA: Nepal Police have resumed search operations early Wednesday morning for 19 people missing after the devastating flood in Rasuwa on Tuesday.

According to Bagmati Province Police Spokesperson and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sanjaya Singh Thapa, the body of one person swept away from Rasuwa was found in Chitwan, prompting search operations along the banks of the Trishuli and Narayani rivers, as well as other districts.

SSP Thapa said police teams have been deployed in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan, and Nawalparasi to search riverbanks for missing persons. He confirmed that Assistant Sub-Inspector Lal Bahadur Shrestha, who went missing in the flood, was found dead in Chitwan on Tuesday evening.

Among the nine confirmed dead so far, only five bodies are in a condition that allows identification, SSP Thapa said. Four human body parts have also been found, and DNA testing will be needed to confirm identities.

According to SSP Thapa, two police officers, six Chinese nationals, and eleven civilians are still missing. “The flood swept away 64 vehicles and a friendship bridge, causing major damage to physical infrastructure,” Thapa added.

While the exact cause of the flood is still unclear, meteorologists suspect a glacial lake burst in the upper region. Binod Parajuli, head of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology’s Flood Forecasting Division, said investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the sudden flood.

He noted that since there was no significant rainfall, a detailed study is being conducted into the possibility of a glacial lake outburst.