THE DEATH toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal rose to 177 on Thursday, while nearly 300 Indian tourists remained among thousands of people missing after the floods swept through parts of the country.
The floods wreaked havoc across three districts on Wednesday after an avalanche blocked the flow of the Lhende tributary of the Bhotekoshi River. The flooding first hit Timure, near Nepal's border with China at Rasuwagadhi.
Nepal Police said 12 more bodies had been recovered, raising the death toll to 177. In Rasuwa, two people were killed, in Nuakot 12, in Dhading 27, in Chitawan 69, in Gorkha 20, in Tanhu nine, in Nawalparasi East 32 and in Nawalparasi West six, taking the total toll to 165.
Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said nearly 300 Indian tourists were among thousands reportedly missing. He also confirmed that more than 160 people had died and thousands remained untraced in the Rasuwa region.
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"Thousands of families have lost homes and are missing as of now. We are still trying to ascertain the full extent of the disaster," Khanal said.
According to data released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), nearly 826 people are missing in the flash floods.
At least 44 personnel from the Nepal Army, 28 from the Nepal Police and 13 from the Armed Police Force have lost contact with the centre, authorities said. Nearly 162 people working at different hydropower and customs offices are also missing.
As many as 579 tourists, including foreigners, are missing after the incident. Most of them were en route to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet and Gosainkuknda in Bagmati Province, Nepal, officials said.
On Wednesday, it was reported that at least 133 Indians and 37 NRIs were among nearly 500 people missing. At least 50 of the Indians were pilgrims for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.
Flood near Tibet border kills at least 95 in Nepal, 130 Indians among the missing
So far, 73 people have been found injured in flood-related incidents, including 43 from Rasuwa, 27 from Nuwakot and three from Dhading. They are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, including Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu.
Among 123 stranded people rescued from the Timure area of Rasuwa, 94 were Nepalese and 29 were foreigners, according to NDRRMA.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Thursday visited Bidur Municipality of Nuwakot district to inspect the flood-affected areas. Minister for Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamshal also accompanied him, according to the Prime Minister's office.
The team travelled by road from Kathmandu to Bidur, one of the areas hardest hit by the floods. Shah has been overseeing rescue and relief efforts since floodwaters from the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa caused widespread damage in riverside settlements on Wednesday.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu issued emergency numbers on Wednesday for assistance and information related to Indian nationals affected by the flash floods. People can contact +977 985 131 6807 or +977 970 910 7500.
A mud-covered building following a flash flood at Trishuli in Nuwakot district, Nepal, August 26, 2026.Reuters.
The Embassy of India has remained engaged with the relevant authorities of the Government of Nepal for early rescue and relief for Indian nationals affected by the flash floods that took place in Nepal, it said in another post on X, adding that rescue and relief efforts continue to be strengthened in coordination with the Nepal government.
The Nepal Tourism Board also issued numbers for help, including the toll-free emergency number 1234, the hotline 1144 and the Tourist Police number 9851289445.
In Beijing, the Embassy of India also issued a helpline number, 0086 185 1428 4905, which can be contacted via WhatsApp.
The floods damaged 35 motorable bridges, 45 suspension bridges and 40 km of black-topped road, mainly in central Nepal.
In some places, mud and rocks have blocked roads, while transportation has been halted elsewhere because of possible risks associated with the flooding.
A section of the national highway from Nagdhunga in Kathmandu to Mugling has been completely halted for an indefinite period. Transport services have also been halted on the Mechi Highway of Ilam district, the BP Highway of Kavre, the Kanti Lokpath of Makwanpur, the national highway of Rasuwa, the national highway of Nuwakot, the Prithvi Highway of Dhading, the national highway connecting Chitwan and Jajarkot and the Dolpa road section in Rukum West.
A preliminary assessment on Thursday suggested that the flash flood was caused by an ice avalanche upstream blocking a river on the Nepal-China border, Disaster Management authorities were quoted as saying by My Republica.
The assessment suggested that the flood in the Trishuli River was caused by an ice avalanche upstream blocking the Lendhe River.
NDRRMA said a debris-laden flood occurred in the Lendhe River following an ice-rock landslide at the Nepal-China border, about 20 kilometres northeast of Rasuwagadhi.
"The same flood appears to have entered the Trishuli River after passing through Timure,” the authority said, amid various theories and assessments regarding the cause of the flood, which has now become a recurring issue.
Disaster expert Basanta Raj Adhikari also argues that an ice avalanche occurred in the Lendhe River, about 20 kilometres upstream of Rasuwagadhi, blocking the river and causing the flooding, My Republica reported on Thursday.
Based on the scale of those unaccounted for, security officials and disaster experts have said the flash floods may rank among the deadliest in Nepal's modern history, potentially surpassing every disaster since the 1993 floods in Sarlahi, Rautahat and Makawanpur, which killed 1,400 people and have long stood as the country's benchmark disaster.
