At least 8 dead, hundreds missing after flash floods hit Nepal

Abi Sarabia M., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
August 27, 2026

Photo courtesy: The Guardian

At least eight people were killed and hundreds remained missing Wednesday after an avalanche of ice and rock triggered massive flash floods across parts of Nepal, damaging villages, roads and hydropower facilities.

The Nepal Tourism Board said 384 tourists and travelers were out of contact, including 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepalis. The missing foreigners include citizens of India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and other countries.

The Bhotekoshi River surged Wednesday morning, with some of the heaviest damage reported in Rasuwa district, particularly around Timure and Syafrubesi. Floodwaters damaged settlements, roads, bridges, police posts and customs facilities near Nepal’s border with China.

Authorities warned communities along the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers to stay away from riverbanks as search-and-rescue operations continued. Nepal has also sought assistance from neighboring India and China.

Officials were still assessing the full extent of the disaster, while security personnel and tourism authorities worked to locate those who had lost contact in the affected areas. Twenty-six police personnel were also reported missing following the flooding, according to Nepal’s state broadcaster.

Climate researchers said preliminary evidence indicates that an ice-rock avalanche from a glacier may have blocked the Lhende Khola, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River. Water that accumulated behind the blockage may then have broken through, sending a sudden surge downstream.

Rasuwa experienced another destructive flash flood in August 2025, when a glacial lake in neighboring Tibet overflowed and damaged critical infrastructure in the border region. 

Scientists have warned that the Himalayan region faces growing risks from glacier melt, floods and other extreme events as temperatures rise.