1 hour ago
Rescue teams searched Nepal's flood-hit border districts as families crowded hospitals for missing relatives. The disaster, now linked to a glacial collapse, has deepened concern over cross-border casualties and access to relief.
Image used for representational purposes only
Newdelhi,UPDATED: Aug 27, 2026 17:22 IST
Rescue teams in Nepal raced against time on Thursday to trace hundreds of people still missing after devastating flash floods killed at least 270 people. Among those unaccounted for are 288 Indian nationals, with Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal saying nearly 300 Indian tourists were among thousands reported missing after the floods swept through parts of the Nepal-Tibet border.
The disaster also hit areas across the border in Tibet. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Gyirong Township near the Nepal border post on Thursday, where 360 people were reported missing after a massive flash flood that caused heavy casualties. In another report, official media said as many as 588 people were missing in Tibet after a massive mudslide hit a border area with Nepal. The US Geological Survey said the Nepal flash floods were triggered by a glacial collapse, not by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake as reported earlier.
In Nepal, hundreds of people gathered outside hospitals on Thursday, searching for family members and friends who had gone missing. Rescue teams continued to search riverbanks and downstream areas for those still unaccounted for.
Authorities also stepped up relief efforts. More than 40 charter flights by private helicopters took off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan Airport on Thursday to carry relief supplies to flood-affected areas, including Rasuwa. Nepalese authorities also arranged alternative power sources for affected regions, where electricity supply has been disrupted after extensive damage to power projects, and said solar power banks would be distributed.
The scale of the devastation was reflected in accounts from survivors. Giri Lal, whose wife and four children were swept away when floods hit Timure in Nepal's Rasuwa district on Wednesday, said, "Nothing is left."
With the death toll rising and large numbers still missing in Nepal and Tibet, rescue and relief operations continued on Thursday as families searched hospitals and authorities tried to reach badly affected areas with supplies and alternative power support.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Aug 27, 2026 17:22 IST
