Himalayan flash flood kills up to 17 along Nepal-Tibet border as 384 remain missing

Floodwaters surge through Rasuwa district

On Wednesday morning around 09:00 local time, an avalanche of ice and rock sent a wall of water down the Bhote Koshi river in northern Nepal. The torrent tore through mountainous communities in Rasuwa district, a region with approximately 50,000 residents bordering Tibet. Floodwaters submerged settlements, demolished roads and bridges, and damaged local hydroelectric project sites. The hardest-hit settlements include Syapru Besi and Timure, where high water levels initially prevented military rescue helicopters from landing. Local health worker Tula Bahadur BK described the destruction across the valley.

There is devastation everywhere we look. The settlements next to the river have been completely swept away. Five of my own relatives are missing.

Casualties and search operations

Casualty counts rose throughout Wednesday, with reports ranging from 8 to 17 confirmed dead across the affected areas. Rasuwa district administrator Narendra Pariyar cautioned that the full toll would take time to establish after entire riverbank communities were submerged.

We have reports of villages and infrastructure project sites being washed away. There could be heavy casualties or loss of property. But I cannot say for sure now.

The Nepal Army mobilized personnel, medical teams, and helicopters, rescuing 21 people from isolated positions. Authorities also deployed drones to survey the devastation near the Rasuwagadhi border checkpoint and customs yard, where workers and residents were feared buried under debris. Government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel stated that Nepal requested rescue assistance from both India and China to reinforce ongoing search efforts.

Missing tourists and border devastation

The Nepal Tourism Board compiled an initial register of 384 untraceable travellers based on reports from 10 travel agencies, comprising 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali citizens. Among the foreign tourists, 105 are Indian citizens, alongside 37 non-resident Indians, with others arriving from Australia, the Netherlands, the United States, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. Across the border at approximately 10:30 local time (02:30 GMT), the surge struck China's Gyirong Port in Shigatse City, severing power, communications, and access roads while causing unconfirmed casualties. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered emergency agencies to commit all resources toward locating the missing and preventing secondary disasters along the frontier.

Regional disaster history

The Bhote Koshi river originates in Tibet before feeding Nepal's Trishuli river and flowing into India as the Gandak. The disaster follows a recurring pattern of weather and glacial events across the Himalayan range. A previous flood along the same river in 2025, caused by the drainage of a supraglacial lake in Tibet, killed nine people, left 24 missing, and destroyed the Friendship Bridge between Nepal and China.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah convened an emergency meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority and directed residents along the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli, and Narayani rivers to evacuate toward higher ground.

Instructions have been given to move the people living in the lower areas to safer places. People along the river are advised to exercise extra caution and remain alert.