Nepal-Tibet border floods: death toll climbs, hundreds missing

World deathearthquakefloodsTop News Nepal-Tibet border floods: death toll climbs, hundreds missing Screenshot 2026 08 26 113148 Relevant News Nepal-Tibet border floods: death toll climbs, hundreds missing 26 August 2026 Christodoulides and Erhurman clash over how to restart Cyprus talks 26 August 2026 Turkey seeks advance notice on Cyprus-Greece cable surveys, Athens says no permission needed 26 August 2026 newsroom 26 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Nepal sent helicopters to help with rescue efforts on Wednesday after flash floods swept away villages, roads, bridges and power infrastructure along its border with Tibet, killing dozens of people and leaving hundreds more missing. Local media has reported that 55 bodies have been recovered. Nepal’s Foreign Minister, Sisir Khanal, told parliament the disaster followed an earthquake early Wednesday, which triggered a landslide that blocked the Bhote Koshi river, causing the flood. The US Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 4.4 earthquake in the area at the time Khanal cited. Separately, Reuters reported that officials suspect the earthquake triggered an ice-rock avalanche on the Lhende Khola river, which flows through both Nepal and Tibet. Authorities warned the death toll could rise significantly, while Chinese officials separately voiced fears of “major casualties” after a mudslide struck a border crossing in Gyirong county, Tibet. Scary visuals from today show people desperately running for safety as the flash flood hits Gyirong Port, China, but they couldn’t find a safe place to escape.The flood later hit Nepal, with hundreds reported missing, including 126 Indian tourists. pic.twitter.com/4wzPFeYWYJ— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) August 26, 2026 384 travellers missing According to Reuters, at least 384 travellers have been reported missing, including 105 Indian nationals, 93 Nepalis, 12 British nationals, three US citizens, 17 Malaysians, eight South Koreans working on a hydropower plant, four South Africans, and one person each from Australia and the Netherlands. Nepali state media separately reported that 60 workers were missing at the 20-megawatt Langtang Khola hydropower project in Rasuwa district, near the border with China, after the flood struck while the project was carrying out concrete works inside a tunnel, severely damaging the site. Horrible video of Nepal flood #nepalinews #NepaliNewsToday #floodnews #nepalflood pic.twitter.com/aJc1mckPXh— Preeti Sompura (@sompura_preeti) August 26, 2026 Rescue efforts hampered by rising waters The situation is most severe in the Syapru Besi and Timure areas of Rasuwa district, home to about 50,000 people, where rescue helicopters have been unable to land because the Bhote Koshi river’s waters have risen far above its usual banks, officials said. “There could be heavy casualties or loss of property,” district administrator Narendra Pariyar told Reuters, urging residents along the riverbanks to move to higher ground. One witness described the flood as sudden, telling the Onlinekhabar news portal: “We heard a loud sound, like a volcano erupting.” A health worker in Rasuwa told Reuters the destruction was widespread, saying five of his own relatives were missing. Nepal’s army said its rescue helicopters would not be able to land in the affected areas until the floodwaters recede, according to spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet. Authorities have warned that a second flood remains possible, as a blockage is still lodged upstream on the Lhende Khola river, Reuters reported. Flood alerts have also been issued in the neighbouring Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, both of which lie downstream on rivers flowing from the Himalayas. Nepal flash flood –नेपाली मीडिया रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, अभी तक 32 पुलिसकर्मियों, 25 पिलग्रिम सहित बड़ी संख्या में लोगों के लापता होने की सूचना है। मतलब इनसे संपर्क कट गया है। हैलिकॉप्टरों ने 12 लोगों को सुरक्षित रेस्क्यू किया है। कई हाइड्रो पॉवर प्रोजेक्ट बह गए हैं।पत्रकार… https://t.co/C6kuBf1HJp pic.twitter.com/UsZRTxSdX9— Sachin Gupta (@Sachingupta) August 26, 2026 China reports damage at border crossing China’s state Xinhua news agency reported that the mudslide on the Nepali side struck the Gyirong land crossing, cutting roads, communications and power supplies in the nearby Shigatse region. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “all-out” efforts to find those missing, along with stronger monitoring and early warning systems to prevent further disasters. Nepal’s energy ministry said around 430 megawatts of electricity supply had been affected, most of it from hydropower projects, equivalent to more than 12 per cent of the country’s total hydropower capacity of 3.2 gigawatts, according to a Reuters calculation. Prime Minister Balendra Shah said police and military personnel had joined rescue and relief operations, and that people living in low-lying areas were being moved to safer locations, with those near rivers advised to remain alert. 🚨 INDIA, BE CAREFUL! 🇮🇳A major flood wave has entered Nepal’s Bhote Koshi from the Tibetan side, triggering alerts across the Trishuli basin.Bhote Koshi → Trishuli → Narayani/Gandak → Bihar → Ganga.West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Saran & Vaishali should… pic.twitter.com/5oayN3emjN— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) August 26, 2026 International response China has deployed at least 574 rescuers to the border crossing, though Reuters said shifting flood sediment was complicating the operation. India said it was coordinating closely with Kathmandu on rescue and relief efforts, while South Korea said it would send a rapid-response team of government officials and fire and police personnel. Echoes of last year’s flood The Bhote Koshi river, which originates in Tibet and flows into Nepal’s Trishuli river before reaching India as the Gandak river, was also the site of a deadly flood last year that killed nine people and left 24 missing. That flood destroyed the “Friendship Bridge” linking Nepal and China, disrupting trade and transport across the border for months. Officials at the time traced the cause to the draining of a supraglacial lake in Tibet. (Information from Reuters) Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Christodoulides and Erhurman clash over how to restart Cyprus talks Turkey seeks advance notice on Cyprus-Greece cable surveys, Athens says no permission needed Five aircraft battle Agia Anna blaze near residential area TechIsland & Brickworks Games launch SafeIsland CY in pilot phase in collaboration with Kitas Weather Data Commissioner finds camera in restaurant women’s toilet, orders inspection campaign Drousiotis accepts “Sandy” challenge, agrees to device examination Convicted rapist gives podcast interview from inside Cyprus prison (video) Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.