Nepal flash floods kill 270 as 800 remain missing after avalanche surge

Kathmandu,UPDATED: Aug 27, 2026 15:10 IST

The death toll from massive flash floods in Nepal rose to 270 on Thursday, with rescuers racing to find more than 800 people still missing in one of the country's worst disasters in recent years. The floods struck parts of central Nepal on Wednesday after an ice-rock avalanche upstream blocked the Lhende tributary of the Bhote Koshi River, sending a debris-laden surge downstream.

The disaster has left behind scenes of devastation and personal loss. Among those affected is 38-year-old Giri Lal, who lost his wife, two sons and two daughters when the floods swept through Timure, a border town in Rasuwa district. Lal, who drives a truck for the local waste management office, is undergoing treatment at a state-run hospital in Kathmandu, around 160 km from Timure.

The flash floods first hit Timure, near the Nepal-Tibet border, before spreading to other districts. For many who witnessed it, the force of the flood felt like an earthquake. One eyewitness told the Nepal News web portal, "I was at home this morning. While I was eating breakfast at around 8:40 am, news came that a flood had hit Timure. I heard people saying, 'Timure is completely gone, nothing is left'." He added, "It felt like an earthquake was happening. It was impossible to figure out what was taking place. Right before our eyes, the market and the settlement were devastated."

As rescue teams moved into the affected areas, the scale of the destruction became clearer. Several videos on social media showed buildings, people and animals being swept away by the several-feet-high torrent of mud and water. The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported more than 800 people missing, and officials said at least 579 of them were tourists.

Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said nearly 300 Indian tourists were among thousands reported missing. Officials said most of them were travelling towards Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet and Gosainkunda in Nepal.

Families continued to search for missing relatives in hospitals and affected areas. Standing outside the emergency section of Bharatpur Hospital with a photograph of her brother Sabi, who has been missing since Wednesday morning, Lipa Sapkota said, "We have been showing their pictures to people and asking if anyone has seen them." She told Setopati.com, "There were some dead bodies, but they were not easy to identify because of their condition."

The floods also damaged 35 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges and around 40 km of black-topped roads, mainly in central Nepal. With the death toll at 270, hundreds still missing and widespread damage reported, the disaster has left a trail of loss across the affected areas.

With PTI Inputs

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