Visuals from Trishuli in Navakot District in Nepal, one of the hardest hit during the recent floods. (Express Photo/Video by Tashi Tobgyal)The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal has risen to 675, while 2,498 people remain missing, according to the Nepal Disaster Management Authority. The death toll rose by nearly 50 in six hours, based on figures released by local officials, and is expected to increase further as rescue and recovery operations continue across affected areas.
As of August 29, 88 Indian nationals have been rescued, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. However, 287 Indians and 128 persons of Indian origin remain missing, the MEA added. In a post on X, Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the ministry, said that four Indian nationals were rescued on Saturday from a hydropower project in Rasuwa, Nepal, and are expected to reach Kathmandu shortly. It also said 120 Indian nationals crossed into Nepal from China on Saturday.
Dead bodies have been recovered from all eight affected districts, Nepal Police said earlier on Saturday. More than 11,000 security personnel, including over 5,000 Nepal Army personnel, have been deployed for rescue operations.
A total of 261 foreign nationals have been rescued from flood-hit areas in Nepal, while 320 remain unaccounted for, the Nepal Tourism Board said on Saturday. Indians account for the largest number of those rescued, with 167 Indian nationals, followed by 40 Chinese nationals and eight Ukrainians. The list also includes nationals from Spain, the US, Germany, South Korea and several other countries.
Among those affected, 338 of 404 people from Maharashtra who were stranded in the Nepal-Tibet region have been traced and confirmed safe, according to a Maharashtra government report. Of them, 37 are being transferred to India, while 60 tourists who travelled through Mumbai-based Richa Tours remain untraceable. The Ministry of External Affairs has also shared details of 149 Maharashtra residents currently safe in Tibet with the state government for further identification and coordination.
Nepal could need between $4 billion and $5 billion to rebuild after the catastrophic floods, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle told Reuters. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it has mobilised its entire global network and launched an emergency appeal for CHF 25m (£23m; $31m) to fund the immediate response.
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At least 675 people have been killed in Nepal’s devastating floods and landslides, while 2,498 people remain missing, according to the Nepal Disaster Management Authority.
The death toll rose by nearly 50 in six hours, based on figures released by local officials, and is expected to increase further as rescue and recovery operations continue across affected areas.
- With Inputs From CNN
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has described the devastating floods along the Nepal-China border as the “most serious cross-border disaster” between the two countries in recent years.
In a phone call with Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal on Friday, Wang highlighted the “complexity and difficulty” of emergency operations and said relief efforts in the coming days would be “unprecedented”.
More than 600 people have been killed, while thousands remain missing and hundreds of Nepali hydropower workers are trapped at construction sites and in tunnels.
China has also sent a specialised team to assist with tunnel rescue operations, along with emergency cash assistance and relief supplies. Both countries will focus on reconstruction, disaster prevention and mitigation, and responding to climate change, China's Foreign Ministry said.
- With Inputs from CNN
Nepal's rescue teams are battling treacherous terrain, destroyed infrastructure and equipment shortages as they search for people still missing after Wednesday's devastating Bhotekoshi floods.
Security forces have deployed thousands of personnel, including search-and-rescue teams, sniffer dogs, divers, rope rescuers, medical units and drone operators. Teams have rescued survivors from collapsed structures and hydropower tunnels, including four workers pulled from a buried tunnel at the Rasuwa Hydropower Project.
The disaster has made rescue operations particularly difficult because roads, bridges and even familiar landmarks have been swept away, leaving helicopters as the main lifeline for remote communities. Nepal Police also lacks its own aircraft and often depends on Army helicopter missions to reach isolated areas.
Rescuers are facing shortages of chainsaws, power tools, cutting equipment and body bags, while officials stress the importance of the first 72 hours in locating survivors. The government has sought specialised international assistance, including tunnel-rescue expertise from India.
By Saturday evening, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 7,514 people had been rescued or otherwise assisted nationwide, including 191 people pulled from flooded hydropower tunnels.
- With Inputs from The Kathmandu Post
Nepali Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said China has been sharing information and data with Nepal since Wednesday’s devastating floods, while suggesting the sudden nature of the disaster meant neither side had a complete picture beforehand.
“Since this disaster we are in very, very close co-ordination, co-operation and communication with the Chinese authorities, and they have been very forthcoming with sharing information and data,” Khanal said at a press conference.
Asked whether such cooperation existed before the flooding or began after the disaster, Khanal said the suddenness of the incident suggested that neither government had “full understanding or clarity” beforehand.
“In this particular context it looks like that even the Chinese side probably did not have that full information, and the way it happened it appears quite sudden, their communities have also been fully impacted, and the border areas on both sides have been totally damaged,” he said.
“But since the incident they have been fully providing us all the information and data we need,” Khanal added.
- With inputs from BBC
A total of 261 foreign nationals have been rescued from flood-hit areas in Nepal, while 320 remain unaccounted for, the Nepal Tourism Board said on Saturday.
Indians account for the largest number of those rescued, with 167 Indian nationals, followed by 40 Chinese nationals and eight Ukrainians. The list also includes nationals from Spain, the US, Germany, South Korea and several other countries.
- With inputs from BBC
Nearly 900 Nepali hydropower workers are missing following the devastating floods, according to data compiled by the Independent Power Producers’ Association of Nepal, CNN has reported.
About 361 workers have been rescued, while many remain trapped at construction sites and inside tunnels after floodwaters devastated hydropower projects near the Nepal-China border.
Nepal has sought specialised tunnel-rescue assistance from India and China, with teams from both countries arriving on Saturday. The disaster has also disrupted the country's power sector, with 12 hydropower projects out of operation and 15 projects under construction affected, according to the Nepal Electricity Authority.
- With Inputs from CNN
What we know so far:
With Inputs from CNN
A total of 2,362 people remain missing after the Bhotekoshi floods in Nepal, while the death toll has risen to 669, Nepal Police said on Saturday.
Of those missing, 1,863 are Nepali nationals and 499 are foreign nationals. Authorities have recovered 669 bodies, including 211 partial human remains, and handed 20 bodies over to relatives.
Search and rescue teams have so far evacuated 2,301 injured people, while around 1,000 displaced people are staying at nine holding centres in Nuwakot, according to police.
- With Inputs from The Kathmandu Post
Identifying bodies has become a major challenge in Nepal following the devastating floods, with the sheer scale of the disaster overwhelming authorities.
At a mortuary in Kathmandu, authorities have displayed photographs of recovered bodies outside the gates to help relatives identify missing family members. Many families are struggling to recognise those in the images.
Thousands of people have been rescued, but the death toll continues to rise, adding to the challenges faced by authorities dealing with the aftermath of the disaster.
- With BBC Inputs
Anxious families have gathered at an army base in Nepal's Nuwakot district seeking information about loved ones missing after the devastating floods, BBC reported.
BBC journalists at the scene reported crowds of relatives waiting for updates, as helicopters operated from the base and police personnel helped coordinate the rescue effort.
Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has called for a global effort to tackle climate change, saying Nepal is among the biggest victims of global warming despite being a low contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
Speaking at a press conference, Khanal urged the international community to come together to protect the Himalayan ecosystem, which is facing rapid environmental changes.
"We'd ask the world... to take climate change as one of the major challenges that Nepal and its citizens face, and this has to be a global effort," he said.
He said Nepal would conduct further research into the avalanches and other factors behind the disaster, with a joint mechanism involving Chinese researchers already in place to study changes in the Himalayas.
"We request the global community to come together and preserve the Himalayan ecosystem."
- With BBC Inputs
The devastating floods along the Nepal-China border have highlighted the growing risks faced by communities living downstream from glaciers as rising temperatures reshape the Himalayan landscape.
Scientists say melting glaciers and thawing permafrost can destabilise mountain slopes, increasing the likelihood of landslides, sudden glacier failures and glacial lake outbursts. In Wednesday's disaster, a large section of glacier reportedly broke away from Langtang Lirung mountain, sending ice, water, rocks and debris down steep terrain.
The Hindu Kush Himalaya region has seen its glacier ice loss rate double since 2000, according to ICIMOD research. Experts also warn that warmer temperatures are increasing the intensity of rainfall and the likelihood of rain falling instead of snow at high elevations, further raising the risks of landslides and erosion.
Early-warning systems can help communities downstream, but scientists say predicting sudden failures remains extremely difficult, particularly in remote high-mountain areas. New satellite-monitoring systems could offer a way to identify emerging risks more effectively.
- CNN Inputs
Passengers who were stranded in Tibet while returning from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra amid the flood situation in Nepal arrived at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on August 29.
Among those reunited with their families was Sonali Belosay, who embraced and kissed her daughter Seeya Belosay after reaching Mumbai.
Express photos by Sankhadeep Banerjee
Twenty-one Tamil Nadu pilgrims returned safely to Chennai after surviving the devastating flash floods and landslides in Nepal's Rasuwagadhi region, recounting harrowing escapes from the disaster.
The pilgrims, who were part of a larger group undertaking the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, were caught in the floods on August 26. They trekked to a border police outpost before being moved to Kathmandu and flown back to Chennai via New Delhi.
Survivors described seeing mud and debris rush down the mountains, with entire sections of the Timure market swept away. Two pilgrims from Tiruchirappalli said passengers on their bus escaped through the driver's side and climbed steep terrain to safety, using a sari as a makeshift rope to help those struggling to climb.
The survivors credited the Nepal Army, local authorities and Indian officials with helping coordinate their rescue and return home.
- With inputs from PTI
Indian Railways has made special arrangements for passengers returning from flood-hit Nepal, including additional coaches, food, water and medical assistance.
According to East Central Railway, 106 passengers returning from Nepal travelled from Patna towards Maharashtra aboard the Patna-Purna Express, with two additional Third AC coaches attached at Patna.
Railway officials also arranged food, water, tea and medical assistance, while an additional ticket counter was opened overnight at Patna Junction. Teams from the Commercial, Railway Protection Force and Medical departments were deployed to assist the passengers, including at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction.
A barrier lake formed after flash floods near the Nepal-Tibet border is draining naturally, Chinese state media reported on Saturday, citing the Ministry of Water Resources.
Climate expert Liz Stephens of the University of Reading said the falling water levels were encouraging as they could reduce the immediate threat and the need for artificial drainage. However, she warned that the debris dam remains unstable and could trigger further landslides.
Stephens said the remote location would make efforts to safely drain or stabilise the lake a major undertaking. Monsoon rains, rising temperatures and intense ice melt could further destabilise the area, she said, urging evacuation and continued monitoring.
- With inputs from BBC
Flood survivors in Nepal's Nuwakot district are facing a second crisis as shortages of essential medicines, drinking water and other supplies worsen conditions in displacement camps and hospitals, according to The Kathmandu Post.
Patients with chronic illnesses have gone days without medication after losing their homes and belongings, the report said. Trishuli Hospital is itself reportedly running short of commonly prescribed drugs, while damaged water systems have left the hospital and nearby settlements without a reliable supply of drinking water.
Around 1,000 people are staying across three displacement camps near the hospital, including pregnant women, new mothers and people requiring medical care, the report said. Doctors have warned that poor sanitation and unsafe water could trigger disease outbreaks.
The hospital is also facing shortages of cooking gas and diesel for ambulances, while damaged bridges have cut road access and forced urgent patient evacuations to rely on helicopters. Hospital officials have also reported growing insecurity and incidents of looting around the area, as per the report.
The devastating Bhotekoshi floods have crippled local governments in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, severely hampering rescue, relief and efforts to assess the scale of the damage, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Several municipal offices, ward offices and official records were washed away, while elected representatives and employees remain missing, according to the report. Roads, electricity and telephone networks have also been reportedly disrupted, making it difficult for officials to coordinate operations and establish how many people are missing.
In Gosaikunda Rural Municipality, the vice-chairperson, two ward chairpersons and several employees are uncontactable, while the municipal office and two ward offices were destroyed. Neighbouring Uttargaya Rural Municipality has also lost its main office and records, with officials saying more than 1,000 people remain out of contact, the report said.
Officials said restoring electricity and communications is an immediate priority, while federal and provincial governments may need to step in as the scale of the disaster has overwhelmed local administrations, as per the Post's report.
Nepal has not rejected offers of foreign rescue assistance, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said on Saturday, as difficult terrain and damaged infrastructure hamper relief operations, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Khanal said Kathmandu was seeking targeted international support based on requirements identified by Nepali security agencies. A specialised Indian tunnel rescue team has arrived, while two Chinese search-and-rescue teams are preparing to deploy, according to the report.
Nepal is also seeking emergency refrigeration equipment to preserve hundreds of unidentified bodies and heavy-lift cargo drones to deliver food, medicines and other essentials to isolated mountain settlements. About 40 bridges and major roads have been damaged, making several affected areas difficult to access, the report said.
The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal has risen to 669, with bodies recovered from all eight affected districts, Nepal Police said on Saturday.
More than 2,400 people remain missing, while nearly 2,500 people, including 163 foreigners, have been evacuated as search and rescue operations continue amid intermittent rain.
More than 11,000 security personnel, including over 5,000 Nepal Army personnel, have been deployed for rescue operations. The floods followed an ice-rock avalanche after a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border, sending water, mud and debris through central Nepal.
- With PTI Inputs
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging the Centre to intensify search and rescue operations for Indian nationals missing after the devastating floods in Nepal.
Tharoor acknowledged India's relief efforts but called for the immediate deployment of a full NDRF contingent, an Army engineer task force with earth-moving equipment and Indian Air Force heavy-lift helicopters to reach areas cut off by damaged roads.
"India's response has been swift and substantial. The Prime Minister's early outreach to Kathmandu, the four tranches of relief material, the eleven-member team of doctors, paramedics and tunnel rescue experts, and the control room and Embassy helplines have all made a difference", he wrote.
He also suggested using ground-penetrating radar, thermal imaging, sniffer dogs and satellite imagery to map debris and prioritise search operations, with specific focus on the Timure-Rasuwagadhi stretch. Tharoor said the narrowing window for rescuing survivors required all available resources to be deployed without further delay.
My letter to Foeign Minister @DrSJaishankar appreciates India’s efforts to conduct search & rescue of missing persons, especially Indians, in the wake of the tragic events in #nepal, and makes specific suggestions for further action that’s urgently needed: pic.twitter.com/E7nAiuNSuE
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 29, 2026
Four Indian nationals were rescued from a hydropower project in Rasuwa, Nepal, on Saturday and are expected to reach Kathmandu shortly, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
The MEA said six Indian forensic experts are also expected to reach Kathmandu to assist with DNA analysis for identification of mortal remains. A specialised Indian tunnel-rescue team, along with equipment, is expected to arrive in Nepal following a reconnaissance team's assessment.
As of August 29, 88 Indian nationals have been rescued, while 287 Indians and 128 persons of Indian origin remain missing, according to the MEA. The ministry also said 120 Indian nationals crossed into Nepal from China on Saturday.
Update on Indian nationals and relief efforts in Nepal ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/9zNq2BXjIq
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) August 29, 2026
Four Indian nationals were rescued from a hydropower project in Rasuwa, Nepal, on Saturday and are expected to reach Kathmandu shortly, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
The MEA said six Indian forensic experts are also expected to reach Kathmandu to assist with DNA analysis for identification of mortal remains. A specialised Indian tunnel-rescue team, along with equipment, is expected to arrive in Nepal following a reconnaissance team's assessment.
As of August 29, 88 Indian nationals have been rescued, while 287 Indians and 128 persons of Indian origin remain missing, according to the MEA. The ministry also said 120 Indian nationals crossed into Nepal from China on Saturday.
Nepal on Saturday praised India's relief efforts following the devastating floods, with Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "exceptionally generous".
Wagle said India has dispatched 57.6 tonnes of relief material to Nepal since Wednesday and sent an 11-member team of medical personnel and tunnel rescue experts. He added that New Delhi has indicated it would provide "very generous assistance" for reconstruction.
Nepal is now focusing on rescue and early recovery, including temporary shelters and cash-for-work programmes. Wagle said the Nepal Army has airlifted 1,930 people, while more than 11,000 security personnel have been mobilised for search and rescue operations.
- With PTI Inputs
Residents have returned to the flood-hit village of Trishuli in Nepal to search for belongings after the devastating disaster destroyed homes and businesses.
Saraswait Ghale, 43, recalled the moment the flood struck, saying “the earth shook like an earthquake” as muddy water surged through the area. She said she reached higher ground and watched belongings being swept away, reported BBC.
Ghale said the disaster had left her with nothing, while 17-year-old Rishika Kalwar said her family's home and business had been destroyed. Both described the devastation as something they would struggle to forget.
- With BBC Inputs
Broken connectivity, washed-out roads and destroyed bridges are making it extremely difficult for aid agencies to reach communities worst affected by the floods in Nepal, charity CARE said on Saturday.
CARE said hundreds of emergency kits containing solar panels, tarpaulins and water purification supplies are ready for distribution. More than 100 kits have already been handed over to local authorities.
The Nepal Army is transporting the supplies to Dhunche, one of the areas severely affected by the floods, the charity said.
- With inputs from BBC
A 26-year-old Australian woman missing in Nepal has been safely located, Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Saturday.
Cara Severino had been hiking the Langtang trek near the area hit by flash floods and was stranded without communication. She later contacted her parents and reached Gosainkunda with other hikers, with plans to return to Kathmandu.
Wong said consular officials had made contact with Severino and confirmed she was safe. Forty-one Australians remain unaccounted for, according to Canberra.
- With inputs from BBC
A disabled couple in Nepal's Nuwakot district have turned their hillside home into a refuge for people displaced by the devastating Bhotekoshi River floods, sheltering more than 200 people since the disaster, The Kathmandu Post reported.
Prem Bahadur Tamang, who has a spinal injury, and his wife Maiya, who has difficulty walking, have been providing food, water and shelter to families searching for missing relatives and people who fled the floods. Between 15 and 20 people continue to arrive at their home each day, according to the report.
The couple rely largely on government allowances totalling Rs 5,000 a month, occasional support from their children and crops grown on their farmland. Maiya said their rice and lentil supplies are now running low, but they continue to help those seeking shelter, the report said.
Bodies are “continuously” arriving at morgues in Nepal following the deadly flash floods, Kaski district chief officer Kuman Singh Gurung told Reuters.
Gurung said authorities had received nine bodies from Tanahun, 27 from Nawalparasi East and 20 from Dhading districts.
Nepal's death toll has risen to 626 following Wednesday's disaster. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Nepal had sought freezers from foreign governments and international organisations to preserve bodies until families can be identified and located.
- BBC Inputs
Nepali officials said 187 foreign tourists have been rescued following the deadly floods and landslides, including 114 Indians, according to the Nepal Tourism Board.
Of those rescued, 27 are Chinese and 20 are South Korean nationals, while others are from the US, Europe and Gulf countries. At least 420 foreign nationals remain unaccounted for.
The disaster has killed more than 600 people in Nepal, while around 3,000 people remain missing on both sides of the Nepal-China border, according to officials.
- CNN Inputs
The death toll from flash floods in Nepal has risen to 626, with 2,301 people rescued so far, Nepal Police said on Saturday.
Authorities are also planning to bury unidentified bodies in a mass grave as they struggle to manage decomposing remains, according to the report.
Seven additional deaths were confirmed in China on Saturday, taking the toll across both sides of the border higher, while around 3,000 people remain missing.
- With CNN Inputs
The Nepal Tourism Board said 184 foreign nationals have been rescued following the flash floods, including 114 Indians.
According to its latest update, 420 tourists remain unaccounted for. The board said it is also in contact with one Belgian and two Spanish nationals.
Among those rescued are 27 Chinese, 20 South Korean, four German, four Maltese, three Italian and three US nationals, besides citizens of several other countries.
- With BBC Inputs
The steep terrain, landslides and melting permafrost that contributed to the devastating floods along the China-Nepal border could also increase the risk of a secondary flooding event, an expert has warned.
Dr Richard Waller, senior lecturer in physical geography at the UK's Keele University, said the original floods deposited large volumes of mud and rock that could block rivers and tributary valleys, causing lakes to form.
He warned that such temporary lakes could fail catastrophically and drain rapidly, particularly if ice within the debris dams thaws. However, any secondary flooding would likely be smaller in scale because the lakes and volume of material involved would be smaller.
- With inputs from CNN
Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel has thanked President Droupadi Murmu and the Government of India for their support and solidarity following the recent calamity in Nepal.
In a post on X, Paudel said Nepal was grateful for India's "generous support" and expressed appreciation for Murmu's concern following the disaster.
He also conveyed condolences to the Government and people of India over the loss of Indian lives in the disaster on August 26, 2026.
On behalf of the Government and the people of Nepal, I extend our deepest gratitude to Your Excellency Smt Droupadi Murmu for your kind concern and also for the generous support and solidarity extended by your government following the recent calamity in Nepal.
— President of Nepal (@OOP_Nepal) August 29, 2026
Hong Kong has earmarked HK$50 million (more than Rs 60 Crore) from its Disaster Relief Fund for emergency relief projects supporting communities affected by the deadly floods along the Nepal-Tibet border.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the allocation on Saturday, expressing condolences to victims and their families. He said the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee would process applications swiftly.
The floods have left more than 610 people dead and over 2,400 missing in Nepal, while seven deaths and 544 missing people have been reported on the Tibetan side, according to the report. The Nepal Tourism Board said 517 foreign nationals from 31 countries remain missing, including 178 Indians.
- With Inputs from South China Morning Post
Families in Gujarat are anxiously awaiting news of pilgrims and NRIs who remain untraceable after flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet region during the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.
The number of untraceable people with Gujarat links rose to 26, according to the State Emergency Operations Centre. Several NRIs from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have links to Ahmedabad, Anand, Rajkot, Valsad, Surat, Kheda, Amreli, Gandhinagar and Vadodara.
Relatives said they were holding on to hope amid distressing visuals of the floods, with some also suspecting that poor network connectivity may have cut off communication with their loved ones.
- PTI Inputs
If you’re just joining us, here are the latest updates on the Nepal-Tibet flash floods:
Authorities in Nepal’s Chitwan district have begun burying 229 unidentified bodies recovered after Wednesday’s devastating floods, citing public health concerns as the remains continue to decompose.
Of the 233 bodies recovered so far, only four have been identified. DNA samples are being collected from all the bodies before burial, while each victim has been assigned a unique identification number so relatives can later exhume the remains if DNA matches are established.
The bodies are being buried at an open site in Devghat, Bharatpur, under emergency guidelines for the management of unidentified and unclaimed bodies.
Authorities have established contact with 338 of 404 people from Maharashtra stranded in the Nepal-Tibet region following the August 26 flash floods, confirming their safety, according to a state government report.
Of the 404 people, 37 have left Saga in Tibet and are being transferred to India, while 60 tourists who travelled to Nepal through Mumbai-based Richa Tours remain untraceable. Authorities are continuing efforts to establish contact with them.
The Ministry of External Affairs has also provided Maharashtra with details of 149 Indian citizens from different districts who are currently safe in the China-Tibet region. The information has been shared with district collectors for identification and further coordination. Meanwhile, 105 citizens from Nagpur have already returned to India.
Rescue operations entered their fourth day on Saturday as survivors were evacuated from flood-hit areas along the Nepal-China border, while families continued searching for loved ones. The combined death toll in Nepal and Tibet has risen to 626, with nearly 3,000 people missing.
In Nuwakot, helicopters resumed rescue operations after poor weather temporarily disrupted flights. Survivors were brought to relief centres, while other helicopters carried essential supplies including clothes, food and other aid.
At the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa, rescuers continued efforts to reach more than 100 people believed to be trapped inside a tunnel filled with thick mud. The operation remains difficult due to several feet of mud and limited landing areas for helicopters.
Authorities are also monitoring a newly formed lake in the Himalayan mountains, which had raised fears of further flooding. Chinese broadcaster CCTV reported that the lake's water level had dropped by about 10 metres from its peak on Thursday.
On the Chinese side, rescuers reached the devastated Gyirong Port border crossing, using rafts, drones and footpaths as they searched for survivors. Nepal has so far reported 626 deaths and 2,426 missing people, while more than 3,700 people have been rescued.
The third flight carrying assistance from India has arrived in Kathmandu, with relief supplies and an 11-member medical and tunnel rescue team now on the ground to support Nepal’s flood response.
https://platform.x.com/widgets.jsThird flight with assistance from India reaches Kathmandu.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 28, 2026
Relief supplies and an 11-member medical and tunnel rescue team are now on the ground.
🇮🇳🇳🇵 pic.twitter.com/7VAGVLKvdg
An 11-member Indian team, including medical personnel and tunnel rescue experts, arrived in Nepal on Saturday to assist local authorities with rescue and relief operations following the devastating flash floods.
The team was sent at the request of the Nepal government, according to Indian embassy sources. Nepal has said it wants to prioritise the deployment of its own security forces but is open to international assistance in cases requiring specialised technical expertise.
Nepal has also requested India and China to help construct 42 Bailey bridges to restore transport and communication links in flood-hit areas.
An 11-member Indian team, including medical personnel and tunnel rescue experts, arrived in Nepal on Saturday to assist local authorities with rescue and relief operations following the devastating flash floods.
The team was sent at the request of the Nepal government, according to Indian embassy sources. Nepal has said it wants to prioritise the deployment of its own security forces but is open to international assistance in cases requiring specialised technical expertise.
Nepal has also requested India and China to help construct 42 Bailey bridges to restore transport and communication links in flood-hit areas.
If you’re just joining us, here are the latest updates on the Nepal-Tibet flash floods:
• Death toll climbs: More than 600 people have been killed in Nepal following catastrophic flooding near its border with China. Around 2,500 people remain missing across the two countries, including dozens of Americans and other foreign nationals.
• Scenes of devastation: Chinese state media reported no sign of survivors at a border crossing that was engulfed by the flood wave. In Nepal, health officials said residents of a “whole village that seems to have been washed away” are in “dire need of support.”
• Flood fears: More rain is forecast in flood-hit areas this weekend. Authorities are closely monitoring a second newly formed lake, raising concerns about the possibility of further flooding.
• On the ground: As the 72-hour “golden window” for survival draws to a close, CNN teams have witnessed widespread devastation and families desperately seeking information about missing relatives.
Of the 233 bodies recovered from Nepal’s Chitwan district, only four have been identified so far, according to the District Administration Office. Officials said the remaining 229 bodies are being kept at holding centres and health facilities as DNA samples are collected to help establish their identities.
“The bodies/remains collected from health institutions and riverbanks are in a state of decomposition and are no longer identifiable,” the district administration said in a statement. The identification effort is being complicated by the condition of the remains and limited facilities for storing bodies.
A second lake formed after the glacial collapse in the Nepal-Tibet border region has raised fresh concerns of further flooding. Jeffrey Kargel, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, described the situation as “extremely concerning” and warned that the newly formed lake could be unstable.
“If the second lake were to burst its banks, water could flow into the landslide-dammed lake further downstream, and ‘together they could burst out very, very rapidly,’” Kargel told CNN.
“Alarm bells are ringing and the rescue crews have to be ready to move to higher ground at every moment,” he said.
The death toll from Wednesday’s devastating flash floods in Nepal has risen to 616, according to reports from the BBC, a sharp increase from the previous toll of 579. Nearly 2,000 people remain missing as rescue and search operations continue across the worst-hit areas.
Nepal needs foreign assistance in specialised and technical areas following the devastating floods, but not for general search-and-rescue operations, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told Reuters. He said Kathmandu has sought help with rescuing people trapped in tunnels, restoring transport and communication links, identifying bodies, DNA testing and storing bodies for longer periods.
“We have already made requests for such specialised services and technical assistance in areas where we don't have enough expertise and technical knowhow," Khanal said on Friday.
Nepal has also asked India and China for Bailey bridges to restore transport and communication in areas where around two dozen bridges have been destroyed. Khanal said some people may still be trapped inside hydropower tunnels and Nepal needs specialised equipment and technical expertise for such operations.
On the growing number of recovered bodies, Khanal said, “More bodies are likely to be recovered from these places where hospitals have been overwhelmed with dead bodies and lack refrigerators to store them.”
Khanal said Nepal would need foreign support for reconstruction and rehabilitation in the aftermath of the disaster.
“The whole village seems to have been washed away. There are families that have been washed away. The health facilities have been washed away, and people are in dire need of support,” Dr Balwinder Singh Chawla, team lead at the World Health Organization in Nepal, told CNN on Friday.
The WHO is assessing the needs of affected communities and responding with emergency assistance, including health kits, tents and other essential supplies being brought in through Kathmandu.
At a military rescue hub in Nuwakot, helicopters are carrying survivors from flood-hit areas while families continue to wait for news of missing relatives. Nepal’s death toll has reached 579, with 1,924 people still missing, according to authorities.
The Nepal Army and other security forces have rescued 4,451 people, including 517 by air on Friday. Sixteen army and private helicopters carried out 99 flights as teams searched valleys and hills cut off by destroyed roads and bridges.
The rescue centre is also where families are gathering to identify missing people. Bodies recovered from the disaster have been brought to the facility, while survivors are registered and provided basic medical care before being airlifted to Kathmandu if needed.
Meanwhile, rescue teams continue to search for people trapped or missing in some of the worst-hit areas, even as difficult terrain, debris and the risk of further flooding complicate operations. Read more
The death toll from Wednesday’s devastating flash floods has risen to 579 in Nepal, with 1,924 people still missing. The floods, triggered by a glacier collapse, swept through Himalayan valleys, destroying homes, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.
Rescue operations are continuing across affected areas, although difficult terrain and damaged infrastructure are hampering access. Meanwhile, authorities remain on alert over the risk of further flooding. A barrier lake formed by debris began overflowing, briefly forcing rescue operations in Nepal and China to be suspended. Operations have since resumed, but officials are continuing to monitor other potentially dangerous lakes upstream.
Nepal has also been searching for people trapped inside a flood-hit hydropower tunnel in Rasuwa, while helicopters and security personnel continue evacuation and rescue efforts. Read more
If you’re just joining us, here are the latest updates on the Nepal-Tibet flash floods:
A Chinese rescue team reached the flood-hit Gyirong border crossing on Friday for the first time since Wednesday’s devastating glacier collapse, finding the complex almost completely destroyed. A team of 21 rescuers and a search-and-rescue dog navigated forests, cliffs and damaged routes to reach the site, where a rescue worker said there was “nothing but ruins.”
The disaster has killed at least 579 people in Nepal and seven in Tibet, while 1,924 people are missing in Nepal and another 558 are unaccounted for in Tibet’s Gyirong County, according to Reuters. More than 90,000 people are estimated to have been affected.
Rescue operations in Nepal and China were briefly suspended after a barrier lake began overflowing into nearby rivers, raising fears of another flood. Operations later resumed after authorities judged the immediate risk to be manageable.
Nepal is continuing to monitor two barrier lakes upstream, with officials warning that the flood threat could persist until they drain completely. Meanwhile, China’s President Xi Jinping has ordered stronger monitoring of glacier lakes and landslide risks as authorities step up efforts to prevent further disasters.
A massive glacier collapse high in the Himalayas has been captured on drone video, offering new clues to what triggered the devastating floods that swept through Nepal and Tibet this week.
The footage, authenticated by BBC Verify, shows a landslide near the Langtang Lirung peak, more than 7,200 metres above sea level, with huge plumes of dust rising from the snow-covered mountains. The location of the videos matches the direction of the floodwater that later surged down the Trishuli river system, according to BBC Verify.
Someone captured the moments just after a huge section of the glacier crack off
— Richard Burton (@Ricburton) August 28, 2026
You can see it ripping down into the valley pic.twitter.com/TIYDkMlj01
Update on Indian nationals impacted by Nepal floods as of 10:00 pm
Update on Indian nationals impacted by the floods in Nepal ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bIHHFT9943
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) August 28, 2026
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