Eight people are confirmed dead and many missing after a flash flood in the Bhote Koshi River swept away villages, bridges, and roads
A flash flood tore through a mountainous region bordering Tibet in northern Nepal, washing away entire villages and infrastructure project sites, the authorities said on Wednesday.
At least eight people are dead and several, including more than 50 security and police personnel, are missing, but details of the damage and casualties are still not clear.
Hydropower projects, bridges, and roads were damaged or destroyed.
Flood waters surged through the Bhote Koshi River, which originates in Tibet, at around 9 AM local time, causing widespread destruction in the Syapru Besi and Timure areas in Rasuwa district.
Officials have warned of potentially heavy casualties and urged people living along river banks to immediately seek higher ground. Alerts have been issued for settlements along riverbanks in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, and Chitwan districts.
”We have reports of villages and infrastructure project sites being washed away,” Rasuwa district administrator Narendra Pariyar told Reuters by phone. “There could be heavy casualties or loss of property. But I cannot say for sure now.”
❗Nepal Floods: At Least 7 Dead, Security Personnel Missing 🇳🇵
The worst-hit areas include Timure and Syabrubesi in Rasuwa, where floodwaters have swept away homes, bridges and parts of a key road towards the China border, according to The Kathmandu Post.
Nine Armed Police… https://t.co/OGz6YNAMPx pic.twitter.com/XRGgZGxHj7
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) August 26, 2026
Videos shared online show the violent flood sweeping aside buildings and bridges and submerging the banks of the river, giving people little time to react. The surge originated in Tibet, possibly from a glacial lake bursting or a cloud burst, reports suggest.
Neighboring China and India have seen heavy flooding this year.
A sudden massive flood swept through northern Nepal this morning, causing extensive damage in Timure and Syafrubesi areas of Rasuwa district after the Bhote Koshi River surged around 9 am, reportedly from the direction of Tibet.
Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police… pic.twitter.com/P78X3328dX
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) August 26, 2026
Nepalese officials have urged people along the Bhote Koshi to be vigilant as the flood surge travels downstream. The Bhote Koshi empties into Nepal’s Trishuli River, which eventually flows into India as the Gandak River.
Nepal has deployed the army, including two helicopters, to conduct rescue operations, and Prime Minister Balen Shah has called a meeting to discuss the response to the flooding.
August 26, 2026 at 03:33PM
RT