A wall of water and mud
The flood struck northern Rasuwa on August 26, 2026. A sudden surge of water swept through the Bhote Koshi River basin and tore through villages along the Nepal-Tibet border. The US Geological Survey said a glacial collapse triggered the wall of water and mud that buried homes and roads.
Nepali police have recovered 332 bodies so far. The overall death toll has passed 350. More than 1,300 people are still missing, according to authorities. Search teams are working in areas where roads and bridges were washed away, and the full scale of the damage is still unknown.
Foreign tourists caught in the disaster
Many of the missing are foreign tourists. At least 33 British nationals are unaccounted for, including two teenagers aged 13 and 14. The US State Department said it does not yet have an accurate figure for missing Americans, though local officials earlier reported that dozens of Americans were among the missing.
The Bhote Koshi valley is a popular trekking route near the Tibetan border. Hundreds of hikers were in the region when the flood arrived without warning. Helicopters have been ferrying rescue teams into remote valleys, and army engineers are clearing blocked roads with heavy equipment.
Warnings of a second flood
Experts say the danger is not over. A landslide has blocked part of the river channel, and water is building up behind it. If the blockage breaks, another surge could hit downstream areas that have already been damaged.
Authorities have told residents in low-lying areas to move to higher ground and stay away from riverbanks. Monsoon rains are expected to continue for several more weeks, keeping the risk high.
The disaster has drawn attention to the region's fragile mountain environment. Scientists say warming temperatures are melting glaciers faster, which makes glacial collapses more likely. Relief agencies are calling for more international support as the search for survivors continues.