Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Nepal Flood Death Toll Reaches 955 as Tunnel Searches Continue
Severe floods struck areas near the Nepal-China border last week.
The floods killed 955 people, and thousands are still missing.
Rescue workers are searching tunnels at hydropower plants for people who may be trapped under mud and rocks.
More than 11,000 people have been rescued so far.
Workers from Nepal and other countries are helping clear the damaged sites.
Many roads, bridges and power plants were destroyed.
Some families are still waiting to learn what happened to their relatives.
More rain or melting ice could make the rescue work even harder.
Flooding along the Nepal-China border has killed 955 people, while about 4,471 remain unaccounted for across Nepal and China.
Rescuers are searching mud-filled hydropower tunnels for hundreds of missing workers, including at least 93 believed trapped at one site in Rasuwa.
More than 11,379 people have been rescued, and relief has reached nearly 3,700 people in affected communities.
The United Nations estimates that about 65,000 people urgently need water, sanitation and hygiene assistance.
Renewed rain, rising water levels in a barrier lake and possible glacier collapses could hinder rescue and recovery operations.
- Who
- Nepali and Chinese authorities, rescue teams, hydropower workers, affected residents and international specialists are involved.
- What
- Flash floods killed at least 955 people, left about 4,471 unaccounted for, and damaged hydropower facilities and other infrastructure.
- When
- The floods struck last week; the latest updates were reported on September 1, 2026, about a week after the disaster.
- Where
- The disaster affected areas along the Nepal-China border, including Nepal’s Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Chitwan districts and China’s Gyirong area.
- Why
- Upstream flash floods sent mud, debris and boulders through the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river corridor, destroying villages, roads, bridges and hydropower plants.
- Confirmed deaths
- 955 across Nepal and China, according to the latest reports.
- People unaccounted for
- About 4,471 across Nepal and China; Nepal’s prime minister separately cited nearly 4,000.
- People rescued
- More than 11,379.
- Missing hydropower workers
- More than 900 workers remain unaccounted for across various projects; around 500 are feared trapped in large tunnels.
- Humanitarian need
- About 65,000 people urgently need water, sanitation and hygiene support, according to the United Nations.
- Infrastructure recovery
- Six 48-meter Bailey bridges and one 70-meter bridge are being deployed, while power has returned to about 30% of households in Rasuwa District.
- Tunnel search
- At least 93 people are believed lost inside one hydropower tunnel in Rasuwa; four bodies have been recovered from tunnel sites.
