Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Nepal Flash Flood Leaves Hundreds Missing as Rescue Operations Continue
A sudden flood hit Nepal’s Rasuwa district on Wednesday, August 26.
The water rose quickly in the Bhote Koshi River and swept through nearby communities.
Villages, vehicles, bridges and roads were damaged.
At least eight people were reported dead.
Many people, including 105 Indian tourists, were reported missing.
The list of missing people is preliminary, so officials are still checking who is safe.
Nepal’s army and police are using teams and helicopters to search for people and help those trapped.
People living near rivers have been told to move to safer places.
A flash flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on August 26.
At least eight people were reported killed, while dozens of security personnel and hundreds of foreign nationals remained missing.
The preliminary missing-person figures include 105 Indian tourists, though authorities were still verifying the list.
Floodwaters damaged villages, vehicles, roads, bridges, hydropower infrastructure and the Rasuwagadhi border route.
The Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police are conducting rescue operations, including helicopter missions.
- Who
- Residents, security personnel and foreign nationals, including 105 Indian tourists, were affected; Nepal’s rescue agencies are conducting the response.
- What
- A flash flood caused deaths, missing-person reports and extensive damage to settlements and infrastructure.
- When
- Wednesday, August 26, at around 9 a.m. local time.
- Where
- Rasuwa district, especially Timure and Syapru Besi, near Nepal’s border with Tibet.
- Why
- A sudden rise in the Bhote Koshi River, with water reportedly coming from the direction of Tibet, triggered the flooding.
- Reported deaths
- At least eight people.
- Reported missing
- One report cited 384 missing overall; another cited 41 security personnel and 291 foreign nationals. Officials said the figures were preliminary and under verification.
- Missing Indian nationals
- 105 Indian tourists were included among the reported missing foreign nationals.
- Missing security personnel
- The reported total of 41 included 32 Nepal Police members and nine Armed Police Force members.
- Main affected areas
- Timure and Syapru Besi in Rasuwa district.
- Damaged infrastructure
- Villages, vehicles, goods, roads, bridges, hydropower projects and infrastructure near the Rasuwagadhi border crossing.
- Rescue response
- The Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police deployed personnel, helicopters and disaster-response teams.
