Nepal flash flood from Tibet leaves 17 dead, 105 Indians missing

Kathmandu,UPDATED: Aug 26, 2026 18:24 IST

A massive flash flood originating in Tibet swept through central Nepal on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people and leaving hundreds missing, including 105 Indians, as it tore through towns and villages, washed away bridges and damaged hydropower projects. Officials said the flood caused widespread devastation across Rasuwa, Dhading, Nuwakot and Chitwan districts.

Preliminary satellite analysis showed the flood was triggered by a rockslide from an unstable mountain rock mass near the Nepal-Tibet border, around 20 km northeast of the Tibet-Rasuwagadhi border area. Nepal’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said the flood entered the Trishuli river through the Bhote Koshi at Timure due to the rockslide and the swelling of the Lhende river on the Nepal-Tibet border. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said the flooding was not caused by rainfall in Rasuwa.

Officials said the flood surged through the Bhote Koshi river at around 9 am local time, first affecting Rasuwa and Dhading, before spreading further and damaging at least four permanent bridges and some temporary ones. Rasuwa, near the Tibet border, was the worst-hit area. Videos circulating on social media showed a wall of water at Rasuwagadhi overriding a two-storey building and sweeping away everything in its path. Some footage also showed people running at the sound of the approaching water before the area was engulfed in mud and debris.

The Nepal Home Ministry said the death toll included six people in Dhading, three in Nuwakot and one in Rasuwa. Officials said nearly 500 people were missing. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told the House of Representatives that more than 80 security personnel, including 44 Nepal Army personnel, were among those missing. The Nepal Tourism Board said 384 travellers — 291 foreigners and 93 Nepali nationals — had gone missing in the Rasuwa floods. It said 105 Indians and 37 NRIs were among the missing, along with tourists from the US, Malaysia, the UK, South Africa, Australia and the Netherlands. Most of the Indians were headed for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in Tibet, and Samrat Tours and Travel said at least 59 of them were pilgrims.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu issued emergency numbers for help and information related to affected Indian nationals, asking people to contact +977 985 131 6807 or +977 970 910 7500. In a post on X, it said, "The Embassy of India has remained engaged with the relevant authorities of Government of Nepal for early rescue and relief for Indian nationals affected by the flash floods that took place in Nepal." It added, "Rescue and relief efforts continue to be strengthened in coordination with the Government of Nepal." The Nepal Tourism Board also issued helpline numbers, including toll-free emergency number 1234, hotline 1144 and tourist police number 9851289445.

Warnings remained in place through the day. 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. Later, the NDRRMA said: "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." The authority also asked people living near riverbanks in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan and Gorkha to stay on high alert and take safety measures until further notice.

The flood badly hit roads, trade infrastructure and power projects. The Kathmandu Post reported that the 42-km road linking Betrawati in Nuwakot with the Rasuwagadhi border crossing in Rasuwa had been washed away. Quoting Department of Roads spokesperson Shubharaj Neupane, it said the floodwaters destroyed the road at multiple points and swept away several concrete bridges. Rasuwa Chief Customs Officer Rajendra Dhungana said numerous vehicles and goods kept at the customs premises were washed away and a recently constructed bridge was destroyed at the key Nepal-Tibet trade point. The Independent Power Producers’ Association Nepal said eight operational hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 354 MW and five projects under construction in Nuwakot and Rasuwa were damaged. Among the major operational projects affected were the 111 MW Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, the 78 MW Sanjen Khola Hydropower Project and the 60 MW Upper Trishuli 3A project.

Local officials said the scale of the flooding was unusually large. The Kathmandu Post quoted Uttargaya Rural Municipality deputy chair Chameli Gurung as saying that around a dozen settlements, including Syaphrubesi, Betrawati, Mailung, Salletar, Shantibazar, Pairebesi, Khalti Basti, Sole, Trishuli and Battar, had been affected. Rasuwa Assistant Chief District Officer Dhruva Prasad Adhikari said two settlements had suffered significant damage. A local media report, quoting Nepal Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle, said the Area Police Office in Timure, the police post in Syaphrubesi and the police post at Rasuwagadhi were also damaged. Armed Police Force spokesperson Netra Bahadur Karki said four force personnel had gone missing in Rasuwa.

The Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police were deployed for rescue and relief after an emergency meeting chaired by the Prime Minister to review the situation. The army said it had mobilised 12 helicopters for search and rescue, and rescued six people from Syaphrubesi, two from Mailung and four from Dhunche, all in Rasuwa district. It also set up a treatment centre at Military Training Centre No 1 in Trishuli, where medical personnel were providing emergency treatment, and sent an MI17 helicopter with an Emergency Medical Rescue Team to the district hospital in Trishuli. Security personnel rescued more than 80 stranded people. Five drones and three sniffer dogs were also deployed to support rescue and relief work.

President Ramchandra Paudel expressed sorrow over the loss of life and property in Rasuwa and Nuwakot. The disaster has left large parts of central Nepal badly damaged, with lives lost, hundreds still untraced and major transport, trade and power links hit. Last year too, two catastrophic floods hit the Bhote Koshi in Rasuwa and killed at least 10 people.

With PTI Inputs

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