At least 157 Dead, 133 Indians Among 750 Missing After Flash Flood Near Nepal-Tibet Border

Nearly 157 people died after a massive flash flood struck Nepal near the Tibet border Wednesday. More than 750 people remain missing, including 133 Indian nationals, following the devastating disaster there.

The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River around nine in the morning, officials said. It severely affected Rasuwa and Dhading districts before spreading toward Nuwakot and Chitawan districts. The flooding destroyed four permanent bridges along with several temporary bridges across affected areas. Preliminary satellite analysis linked the disaster to a massive rockslide near the border. Officials said an unstable mountain rock mass collapsed twenty kilometres northeast of Rasuwagadhi. The landslide blocked waterways, while the swollen Lhende River intensified flooding across nearby settlements. The flood entered the Trishuli River through the Bhote Koshi at Timure, Rasuwa.

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Rescue Efforts Intensify as Flood Devastates Rasuwa and Damages Hydropower Projects

At least eighty security personnel went missing, including forty-four Nepal Army personnel, officials confirmed. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said rainfall did not cause Wednesday’s flooding in Rasuwa. Rescue teams have already saved at least ninety-three people from various affected locations. Authorities transferred thirty rescued people to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for treatment. Officials warned residents because a lake behind the river blockage remained partially drained. They urged people near the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers to remain in safe locations. Rasuwa suffered the worst destruction, with roads, bridges, vehicles, buildings, and customs facilities damaged. Tourism officials reported 384 missing travellers, including 291 foreigners and 93 Nepalese nationals.

At least 59 Indian pilgrims travelling for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra remain missing. The Indian Embassy issued emergency numbers while coordinating rescue and relief efforts with Nepalese authorities. Floodwaters damaged eight operating hydropower projects and five projects under construction across Nepal. Major damaged projects included Rasuwagadhi, Sanjen Khola, and Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower projects. Nepal deployed soldiers, police, helicopters, drones, and rescue dogs for search and relief operations. The Nepal Army mobilised twelve helicopters and rescued several stranded people from Rasuwa district. Security personnel also rescued more than eighty people stranded at different locations. The disaster severely damaged roads connecting Nepal’s northern border with central parts of the country. Authorities urged residents across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitawan, and Gorkha to remain highly alert. President Ramchandra Paudel expressed sorrow over the deaths and extensive property damage caused by flooding.

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