Nepal officials have said the embankment of the barrier lake along the Nepal-China border in Rasuwa has given way and the water level is rising. Earlier, China had warned that Nepal could be hit by fresh floods if the lake embankment bursts.
The lake was formed within the debris after the initial mudslide hit the Nepal district on Wednesday. So far, 495 deaths have been confirmed.
A notification by the Rasuwa administration read: “All security personnel, rescue workers, and the general public deployed in rescue and relief operations are requested to remain alert and immediately move to a safe location.”
A barrier lake near the Nepal-China border is overflowing and could breach, Chinese authorities warn. It formed a day after flash floods killed hundreds in nearby communities. The lake held about 2 million cubic metres Thursday, with another 3 million expected within three days. pic.twitter.com/9I15tN3Tgb
Trishuli River disaster, Aug 26 onward · Figures evolving · Last updated: Aug 28, 2026
Total Dead
495
Total Missing
1,858+
Rescue Personnel
4,348
Districts on Alert
5
1
Nepal
Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Chitwan
NEPAL
1,300+
missing
2
China / Tibet
Gyirong County, Shigatse region
CHINA
558
missing
#
REGION
DEAD
MISSING
INJURED
1
Nepal
495
1,300+
466
2
China / Tibet
3
558
—
What Caused It
1
Suspected Himalayan glacier collapse above the Nepal-China border
2
Triggered a magnitude 5.2 tremor, detected by seismometers in the US and Germany
3
Surge entered the Lhende Khola, feeding the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers
4
Trishuli River rose ~9 metres in 30 minutes, sweeping through Rasuwa and Nuwakot
Districts Under Flood Warning
Rasuwa
Worst hit
Nuwakot
Worst hit
Dhading
Downstream
Gorkha
On alert
Chitwan
On alert
Sources: AP · CNN · Al Jazeera · TIME · Wikipedia (2026 Nepal floods) · Death toll updated to 495 per editorial desk, Aug 28, 2026 · Figures are still being revised by authorities as search operations continue.
Right before the embankment of the lake broke, China paused rescue efforts in Tibet after the fresh flood risk was flagged. It sounded the alarm of possible landslides if the lake embankment gave way.
More than 550 remain missing on the Tibetan side of the border.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that the Nepal Army has rescued 900 people from Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, which were affected the most by the floods. Among the rescued were 92 Indians and 27 from other nations.
The continued inclement weather is hampering the rescue efforts, making evacuations difficult.
Indian tourists and pilgrims form the largest group of foreigners worst-hit by the flash floods on Wednesday.
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Nepal Army spokesperson General Rajaram Basnet told BBC all 900 were hospitalised.
Floodwaters swallowing an entire village and houses collapsing under the force of the disaster as deadly floods hit Tibet and Nepal pic.twitter.com/UgrryWtZBu
The catastrophic flash flood in the Nepal-Tibet border region was triggered by a massive glacial collapse and ice avalanche near the Langtang Lirung peak in the Himalayas.
An enormous section of ice and rock broke free, crashing down the valley. The crash generated a powerful seismic shockwave equivalent to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake.
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