Archive · 27 Aug 2026
Nepal Flash Flood Survivor Rescued After Mango Tree Escape
A huge rush of water, mud and rocks swept through parts of Nepal.
Bibek Kumal was digging a deep toilet pit when his co-workers warned him to run.
The flood carried him away, but a mango tree stopped him from being washed farther downstream.
Police later rescued him, although his right leg was injured.
The flood destroyed homes, buildings, vehicles and other property.
Reports gave different numbers for the people who died, ranging from at least 95 to at least 157.
Hundreds of people, including foreigners, were still missing.
Another survivor, 11-year-old Rihana Lamichhane, was hurt while walking home from school.
The flood may have followed a collapse of mud and rocks into a river, but its exact cause was unclear.
Bibek Kumal, 24, was swept away while digging a toilet pit near Bidur but survived after becoming trapped in a mango tree.
The flash flood destroyed homes, buildings, vehicles, settlements and infrastructure near Nepal’s border with Tibet.
Reports gave differing death tolls of at least 95 and at least 157, while hundreds of people, including foreigners, remained missing.
Authorities said more than 114 people had been rescued and taken to hospitals in Kathmandu and Rasuwa.
Eleven-year-old Rihana Lamichhane survived after floodwater struck while she was leaving school, injuring her chest and leg.
- Who
- Bibek Kumal, Rihana Lamichhane, other residents and workers, and rescuers were affected.
- What
- A flash flood of water, mud and rocks caused deaths, injuries, destruction and disappearances.
- When
- The disaster occurred on Wednesday; the articles do not provide a calendar date.
- Where
- Flooding affected Bidur, Rasuwa, Kathmandu and areas near Nepal’s border with Tibet.
- Why
- The flood appeared to follow a mass of mud and rock collapsing into a river. The exact cause was unclear, although a magnitude-4.4 earthquake was reported about seven minutes before the destruction shown in security footage.
- Reported deaths
- Articles reported different figures: at least 95 people in one report and at least 157 in another.
- Missing
- Hundreds of people, including many foreigners, were reported missing.
- Rescued
- Authorities said more than 114 people had been rescued.
- Bibek Kumal
- The 24-year-old labourer survived after being swept into a mango tree near Bidur.
- Injuries
- Kumal injured his right leg; Rihana Lamichhane suffered chest and leg injuries.
- Destruction
- The flood destroyed buildings, vehicles, homes, settlements and infrastructure downstream.
- Possible trigger
- An apparent mud-and-rock collapse into a river was identified as a possible cause, but the exact cause was not clear.
