Flash floods swept away bridges, while hundreds remained missing or out of contact.
On Wednesday, at least 98 people were killed and hundreds remained missing or out of contact after violent flash floods struck both sides of the border between Nepal and Tibet, sweeping away bridges, cutting off roads and damaging hydropower infrastructure.
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Most of the confirmed victims so far are in Nepal, where the Prime Minister’s Office reported the recovery of 95 bodies in areas affected by flooding along the Bhote Koshi River, although their identification had not yet been completed.
The official tally indicated that 484 tourists remained out of contact, including 391 foreigners and 93 Nepalis, as well as 44 Army members, 28 police officers, 13 members of the Armed Police Force and 60 workers from various hydropower projects. Authorities continued gathering information to determine the final extent of the loss of life.
The flooding hit Rasuwa district, in northern Nepal, particularly hard, as the surge of water reached the towns of Timure, Rasuwagadhi and Syabrubesi early Wednesday, near one of the main overland crossings into Tibet.
A horrific scene of severe flooding at the Rasuwagadhi border point on the Nepal-Tibet border.
The strong currents wreaked havoc across the area, leaving 400 pilgrims and 105 Indian tourists also missing in the Nepal floods.#NepalFloods #Nepal #Rasuwa #FlashFlood #Floods pic.twitter.com/dwAX12Gj7l— Ravi Pandey
(@ravipandey2643) August 26, 2026
The disaster damaged at least 19 usable bridges and about 40 kilometers of roads, as well as hydropower projects and other infrastructure, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach some of the affected areas.
Initial indications suggest that an earthquake recorded in the morning may have triggered a major landslide that temporarily blocked the river’s course in Tibetan territory before the buildup of water caused the river to rise.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a magnitude 4.4 earthquake at 02:52 GMT in the Tibetan area near the border with Nepal, at a depth of 10 kilometers and with an epicenter about 77 kilometers north-northwest of the Nepali town of Kodari.
The Nepali government declared the affected areas a disaster zone for three months and ordered the mobilization of military and private helicopters for search-and-rescue operations, as well as free medical care for the injured and accelerated restoration of roads, electricity, and telecommunications.
On the other side of the border, Chinese authorities reported at least three deaths and 265 people missing in the Tibetan county of Gyirong, according to an initial tally released by CCTV.
The count, updated through 8 p.m. local time, specified that the exact number of deaths and injuries was still being verified as search-and-rescue operations continued.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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