At least 31 killed, hundreds of tourists missing after flash floods sweep through Nepal
Dozens of people have been killed, and at least 384 travellers are missing after a flash flood tore through Nepal’s Himalayan border region with Tibet, destroying homes, roads and hydropower infrastructure. The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers struggle to reach some of the worst-hit areas, Reuters reported.
Warning! The story contains images some readers may find distressing.
The flood struck the Bhotekoshi river in northern Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Wednesday morning, sweeping through settlements including Syapru Besi and Timure near the Chinese border.
At the time of writing, the missing list includes 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepalis, although authorities are still verifying the names, according to The Guardian, citing the Nepal Tourism Board.
A massive mudslide struck Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border, with CCTV footage showing a wall of debris slamming through the crossing in seconds, tossing vehicles and buses.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 26, 2026
Nepal reports at least 8-16 dead with hundreds of travelers listed as missing, including 291… pic.twitter.com/ZXfDIUaGsC
Death toll likely to rise
Some of the areas hit remain cut off, making it difficult to assess the scale of the disaster. Bodies had been recovered downstream in Nuwakot and Dhading, Nepali police said, while dozens of police personnel based in Rasuwa were also out of contact.
Save Nepal 🥺 pic.twitter.com/bX7s6aYp2s
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At least 105 of the missing are Indian nationals, while tourists from the US, UK, Malaysia and South Korea were also reported missing. It is believed that many foreign travellers were heading for Tibet.
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The very conditions that caused the disaster have hampered rescue operations. Helicopters cannot land in some of the worst-affected locations because water levels remain too high, while roads and bridges have been swept away.
A border route has been cut off
The flooding has also damaged infrastructure on both sides of the Nepal-China border. China said a mudslide had affected the Gyirong crossing in Tibet, disrupting roads, communications and power supplies. More than 500 Chinese rescuers have been deployed to the area.
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Nepal’s energy ministry said 430MW of electricity supply had been affected, mostly at hydropower projects. That represents more than 12% of the country’s installed hydropower capacity, according to a Reuters calculation.
