Nepal-Tibet floods toll hits 547 as fresh flood fears slow rescue

Newdelhi,UPDATED: Aug 28, 2026 17:40 IST

The death toll from the flash floods along Nepal's central Himalayan region and the Nepal-Tibet border has risen to 547, while fears of fresh flooding are complicating rescue work. Authorities are continuing search and rescue operations with caution after water levels increased in the Bhotekoshi River area, as hundreds remain missing and questions grow over what triggered the disaster.

The floods have also set off a wider response in Nepal and abroad. Survivors have spoken of a terrifying escape, families of victims and devotees have gathered at a Kathmandu temple to offer prayers, Indian tourists have been evacuated from flood-hit areas, and Nepal, China and international partners are stepping up relief and rescue efforts.

In Nepal's Rasuwa district, survivor Raju Budhathoki, a customs agent, said Wednesday morning had begun like any other day before it turned into a desperate fight for survival as the ground shook and raging floodwaters swept away homes before his eyes. The account captured what many survivors described as "a second life" after narrowly escaping the devastation.

Officials said more bodies were recovered on Friday, taking the death toll in Nepal to 547. Search and rescue operations are continuing, but teams are working carefully because of the threat of fresh floods following the rise in water levels in the river area.

In Kathmandu, devotees, priests and family members of those affected by the floods offered prayers at the Mahakaal Shani Bhagwan Temple for the repose of the souls of those who died in the tragedy.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava on Friday met Indian tourists who had been evacuated from various flood-hit areas of the Himalayan nation. In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani extended solidarity with people from India affected by the floods along the Nepal-China border in a message written in Tibetan.

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah and members of his cabinet will donate a month's salary to the disaster relief fund in response to the disaster, which has left more than 500 people dead in the country.

China said five people were killed and 558 others, including 260 foreigners, remain missing after flash floods struck a port along the China-Nepal border in Tibet. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday chaired a meeting of the ruling Communist Party to review the situation and rescue efforts after the floods engulfed the Tibet-Nepal border region.

China said the disaster may have been triggered by the collapse of a high-altitude glacier in Nepal. In Kathmandu, scientists are examining whether a glacial collapse and an ice-rock avalanche set off the floods along the Bhote Koshi River. Preliminary assessments indicate that debris may have temporarily blocked the Lhende River, creating a landslide dam that later gave way.

The UK has offered 5 million pounds and emergency responders to Nepal after the floods killed hundreds and left more than a thousand people missing, including around 33 British nationals. As rescue operations continue and the risk of more flooding remains, Nepal is dealing with a rising death toll, widespread damage and an expanding relief effort at home and abroad.

With PTI Inputs

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