Nepal flash flood kills 160, leaves 750 missing after Tibet surge

Kathmandu,UPDATED: Aug 27, 2026 00:32 IST

Nearly 160 people were killed and more than 750 were reported missing after a massive flash flood that began in Tibet tore through central Nepal on Wednesday, destroying towns and villages, washing away bridges and damaging hydropower projects. Nepal Police said 157 people had died. The Nepal government said around 500 people were missing, while China's state-run CGTN reported three deaths and 265 missing on the Chinese side of the border.

The flood affected the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems and spread across several districts, with at least 133 Indian nationals and 37 NRIs among those missing. Rescue and relief operations were under way, with Nepal deploying security forces and helicopters, while India said it was sending humanitarian assistance.

Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told Parliament that an earthquake struck the Tibet region at 8.37 am local time and flash floods were reported three minutes later, suggesting the tremors may have caused a glacial outburst. Officials said the flood moved through the Bhote Koshi River in the border districts of Rasuwa and Dhading. The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said the flood entered the Trishuli River through the Bhote Koshi in Timure after a rockslide and swelling of the Lhende River along the Nepal-Tibet border. It then moved along the river course to Nuwakot, Chitawan, Gorkha, Tanahu and Nawalparasi East. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said the flooding was not caused by rainfall in Rasuwa.

Videos from the affected areas showed a powerful surge of muddy water, rocks and debris rushing through the border region as people ran for safety. One clip showed a four-storey building being swept away, another showed a car floating in fast-moving floodwaters in Rasuwa, and others showed bridges collapsing under the force of the current. In Dhading, one video showed floodwaters hitting a bridge before the structure gave way and was carried off. The Kathmandu Post reported that flooding in the Bhote Koshi washed away the 42-km road linking Betrawati in Nuwakot with the Rasuwagadhi border crossing in Rasuwa. The government later said 19 motorable bridges had been washed away.

The flood also hit Nepal's power infrastructure. The Independent Power Producers' Association Nepal said eight operational hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 354 MW and five under-construction projects in Nuwakot and Rasuwa were damaged. The major operational projects affected include Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project (111 MW), Sanjen Khola Hydropower Project (78 MW) and Upper Trishuli 3A (60 MW).

Officials said around 100 people had been rescued from different parts of the affected areas, and 30 of them were being treated at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu. Khanal told the House of Representatives that 80 security personnel, including 44 Nepal Army personnel, were missing at various locations. After an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel were sent to the affected areas. The Nepal Army said it had deployed 12 helicopters for search and rescue operations and had rescued six people from Syaphrubesi, two from Mailung and four from Dhunche in Rasuwa. It also set up a treatment centre at Military Training Centre No 1 in Trishuli and sent an MI-17 helicopter with an Emergency Medical Rescue Team to the district hospital there.

Among those missing were at least 133 Indians and 37 NRIs, officials said. At least 50 of the Indians were on the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra. Isha Foundation said 77 of its members who were at an immigration centre were missing. Its founder Sadhguru said, "There has been no official information on the whereabouts of any of the people who were at the immigration office," and added that 495 people had returned safely. The Nepal government later said the entire staff of that immigration centre were out of contact. Authorities in Tamil Nadu said 37 missing tourists were from Thanjavur. Several other Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, also issued helpline numbers amid fears that their residents could be stranded. Apart from Indians and NRIs, the remaining missing tourists were from more than two dozen countries including the US, Malaysia, the UK, South Africa, Australia and the Netherlands.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Nepalese counterpart Balendra Shah and assured him of all possible humanitarian assistance. New Delhi has already sent the first tranche of relief supplies to Nepal. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu issued emergency numbers for help and information related to Indian nationals affected by the floods: +977 985 131 6807 and +977 970 910 7500. In another post on X, it said it had remained engaged with the Nepal government for early rescue and relief for Indian nationals and that efforts were being strengthened in coordination with the authorities. The Nepal Tourism Board issued the toll-free emergency number 1234, hotline 1144 and Tourist Police number 9851289445. In Beijing, the Embassy of India issued helpline number 0086 185 1428 4905, which can also be contacted through WhatsApp.

On the Chinese side, President Xi Jinping ordered all-out efforts to search for and rescue missing people. A total of 145 officers and soldiers from the Xigaze detachment of the People's Armed Police were sent to the affected border port, and state-run Global Times said local authorities had dispatched personnel even as communications were cut off. Nepal's Flood Forecasting Division said on X: "According to information received from the Chinese side, since the lake at the river blockage site has not yet been fully drained, the risk remains in the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli areas" and asked people to stay away from the rivers and remain in safe places. The NDRRMA later repeated the warning, saying, "Even though the lake has not been fully drained at the site where the river is blocked, the risk persists in the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli areas, and people are urged to stay away from the river and remain in safe locations until the next update is issued."

Shah expressed condolences for those who died, sympathy for bereaved families, and ordered officials to provide all necessary help to those affected. Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel also expressed sorrow over the loss of life and property in Rasuwa and Nuwakot. Last year too, two major floods hit Bhote Koshi, killing at least 10 people in Rasuwa. Late in the evening, Shah thanked Modi for his "warm words of solidarity" and for offering humanitarian assistance as Nepal continued rescue and relief work after one of its worst flash flood disasters in recent times.

With PTI Inputs

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