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Major news update
A flash flood came down the Bhote Koshi from Tibet into Rasuwa on 26 August 2026. Here is what is confirmed, what is still unknown, and who to call. Nepalnews, 6:00: 1,358 confirmed dead, as of 8 September 2026, 7:57 pm NPT.
Day 8 Checking for new reports…
A flash flood came down the Bhotekoshi from Tibet into Rasuwa on 26 August 2026. Here is what is confirmed, what is still unknown, and who to call.
Nepalnews, 6:00, 8 September 2026, 7:57 pm NPT. Every figure and where it came from
BAJURA: A teenager has gone missing after being swept away by a river in Bajura. Anuj Singh, aged around 16–17, from Jagannath Rural Municipality-3, went…
काठमाडौँ – कास्कीको अन्नपूर्ण गाउँपालिका–११ स्थित किम्रुङ खोलाको बहाव एक्कासि घटेपछि पहिरो खसेर थुनिएको हुनसक्ने आशङ्कामा तल्लो तटीय क्षेत्रमा उच्च…
The confirmed death toll in Nepal has been corrected down to 1,358, from 1,381, Nepalnews reports. The number of people rescued has risen to 13,583, from…
२३ भदौ, काठमाडौं । भोटेकोशी बाढीका कारण भएको ठूलो मानवीय क्षतिप्रति दुःख व्यक्त गर्दै अस्ट्रेलियाकी विदेशमन्त्री पेनी वोङले क्यानबेरास्थित नेपाली…
BAITADI: A landslide occurred at Bitakam of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality-5 in the district has blocked the Mahakali Highway. It blockage obstructed…
9 September 2026, 10:43 am NPT
Teenager swept away by river in Bajura, search operation underway
BAJURA: A teenager has gone missing after being swept away by a river in Bajura. Anuj Singh, aged around 16–17, from Jagannath Rural Municipality-3, went missing while attempting to cross the river.
9 September 2026, 6:06 am NPT
किम्रुङ खोलाको बहाव रोकिएपछि कास्की र पर्वतमा उच्च सतर्कता : कस्तो छ जोखिम ?
काठमाडौँ – कास्कीको अन्नपूर्ण गाउँपालिका–११ स्थित किम्रुङ खोलाको बहाव एक्कासि घटेपछि पहिरो खसेर थुनिएको हुनसक्ने आशङ्कामा तल्लो तटीय क्षेत्रमा उच्च सतर्कता अपनाइएको छ ।
Photograph: Khabarhub
8 September 2026, 7:57 pm NPT updated
Latest reported figures: 1,358 confirmed dead
The confirmed death toll in Nepal has been corrected down to 1,358, from 1,381, Nepalnews reports. The number of people rescued has risen to 13,583, from 13,399, Nepalnews reports.
Photograph: Nepal News
8 September 2026, 10:00 am NPT
अस्ट्रेलियाकी विदेशमन्त्री वोङले गरिन् नेपाली दूतावास पुगेर शोक पुस्तिकामा हस्ताक्षर
२३ भदौ, काठमाडौं । भोटेकोशी बाढीका कारण भएको ठूलो मानवीय क्षतिप्रति दुःख व्यक्त गर्दै अस्ट्रेलियाकी विदेशमन्त्री पेनी वोङले क्यानबेरास्थित नेपाली राजदूतावास पुगेर शोक पुस्तिकामा हस्ताक्षर गरेकी छन्।
Photograph: Online Khabar
8 September 2026, 9:32 am NPT
Landslide blocks Mahakali Highway
BAITADI: A landslide occurred at Bitakam of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality-5 in the district has blocked the Mahakali Highway. It blockage obstructed vehicles entering the district.
Photograph: Nepal News
8 September 2026, 8:40 am NPT
Engineer goes missing since Bhotes Koshi floods, spouse’s plea for rescue
JANAKPURDHAM: It has been nearly two weeks the devastative Bhote Koshi flood struck Nepal from Rasuwa district, but the whereabouts of an engineer working in a hydropower project of Rasuwa is still unknown.
Photograph: Nepal News
7 September 2026, 10:10 am NPT
भोटेकाेशी बाढी : जलवायुको मूल्य कसले चुकाउने ?
भदौ १० गते रसुवाको भोटेकोशीमा आएको विनाशकारी बाढीले पानीको सतह मात्र बढाएन, नेपालसामु एउटा असहज तर अपरिहार्य प्रश्न पनि उभ्यायो- जलवायु परिवर्तनको जोखिम बढ्दै जाँदा त्यसको मूल्य कसले चुकाउने?
Photograph: Khabarhub
7 September 2026, 9:38 am NPT
Rs 11 billion in flood relief funds remains unspent in government coffers
KATHMANDU: Billions of rupees collected from domestic and international sources for flood victims remain unspent in government coffers.
Photograph: Nepal News
7 September 2026, 6:59 am NPT updated
The number of people rescued has risen to 13,399, from 13,098, Nepalnews reports.
Where a report describes one district or one stretch of river rather than the national figure, it is not used here. Out of contact does not mean dead.
Photograph: Nepal News
6 September 2026, 9:44 pm NPT
भोटेकोशी बाढी : वीर अस्पतालमा उपचाररत १७ जना डिस्चार्ज
काठमाडौं – रसुवाको भोटेकोशी नदीमा भदौ १० गते बुधबार बिहान आएको बाढीमा परी घाइते भएर उद्धार गरी वीर अस्पताल उपचारका लागि ल्याइएका २० जनामध्ये १७ जना डिस्चार्ज भएका छन् ।
Photograph: Khabarhub
6 September 2026, 9:43 pm NPT
Food supply begins thru drone in Rasuwa
RASUWA: Food supply has begun through drone at the Bhotekoshi flood-affected villages and settlements in Rasuwa district.
Photograph: Nepal News
6 September 2026, 7:56 pm NPT updated
Latest reported figures: 1,381 confirmed dead
The confirmed death toll in Nepal has risen to 1,381, from 1,344, Nepalnews reports.
Where a report describes one district or one stretch of river rather than the national figure, it is not used here. Out of contact does not mean dead.
Photograph: Nepal News
5 September 2026, 7:00 pm NPT updated
Latest reported figures: 1,344 confirmed dead
The confirmed death toll in Nepal has risen to 1,344, from 1,342, Nepalnews reports.
Photograph: Nepal News
5 September 2026, 11:06 am NPT
जलवायु परिवर्तनको क्षतिपूर्तिका लागि विश्व समुदायले नेपाललाई साथ दिनुपर्छ: महासचिव पोखरेल
काठमाडौँ – नेकपा एमालेका महासचिव शंकर पोखरेलले भोटेकोशी बाढीको समस्या उत्पन्न गराउनेले नेपाललाई क्षतिपूर्ति तिर्नुपर्ने बताएका छन्।
Photograph: Khabarhub
5 September 2026, 11:00 am NPT
The geotechnical trap inside Nepal’s hydropower tunnels
Nepal Army team at the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower tunnel. On August 26, catastrophic debris flows swept down the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors , exposing severe vulnerabilities in Himalayan hydropower infrastructure.
Photograph: OnlineKhabar English News
4 September 2026, 10:05 pm NPT updated
Latest reported figures: 1,294 confirmed dead
The confirmed death toll in Nepal has risen to 1,294, from 1,290, Onlinekhabar reports. The number of people listed missing has risen to 8,898, from 5,083, Khabarhub reports.
Where a report describes one district or one stretch of river rather than the national figure, it is not used here. Out of contact does not mean dead.
Photograph: Nepal News
4 September 2026, 10:21 am NPT
सुरुङबाट १० दिनपछि निकालिएका साहको स्वास्थ्य अवस्था सामान्य
१९ भदौ, काठमाडौं । त्रिशूली थ्री 'ए'को सुरुङबाट जीवित्तै उद्धार गरिएका सञ्जय साहको स्वास्थ्य अवस्था सामान्य रहेको पाइएको छ । उद्धार गरिपछि नेपाली सेनाले उनको स्वास्थ्य जाँच गराउँदा सामान्य रहेको देखिएको हो ।
Photograph: Online Khabar
4 September 2026, 10:20 am NPT
Minister Rawal for carrying out exemplary works in post-disaster recovery as well
NUWAKOT: Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration, Pratibha Rawal, has underscored on carrying out exemplary works in the post-disaster recovery phase as well.
Photograph: Nepal News
Updated 9 September 2026, 10:48 am NPT
01. Confirmed
Confirmed deaths only, both sides of the border. Tap a row for the breakdown.
Rasuwa flash flood, 26 August 2026 · as of 8 September 2026, 7:57 pm NPT · Nepalnews, 6:00
Tap any number to see where it comes from. Early counts move. Where sources disagree, the lower confirmed figure is shown.
In danger right now? Tap to call.
The flood started in Rasuwa, but the water carried people far downstream. 8,898 people are still listed missing. A district here is where a body was found, not where the person was from.
| District | Bodies recovered |
|---|---|
| Chitwan | 363 |
| Nawalparasi East | 226 |
| Nawalparasi West | 222 |
| Nuwakot | 197 |
| Rasuwa | 174 |
| Gorkha | 75 |
| Dhading | 70 |
| Tanahun | 38 |
Nepal Police bulletin, 8 September 2026, 8:00 pm NPT, totalling 1,365, which is the same total the bulletin itself states. The headline figure above is lower, at 1,358: it takes the newest national total any source has published, and this police bulletin counts 7 more.
Three deaths confirmed near Gyirong (Kyirong) county, just over the border from Rasuwagadhi, where the dry port and customs area were hit. China has said it is reviewing its own flood monitoring for the Kyirong valley.
No deaths of foreign nationals have been confirmed. Syabrubesi is the gateway to the Langtang trek, so trekker whereabouts are being checked through the Tourist Police (1144) and trekking operators.
Updated as new figures are confirmed. Where two sources disagree, the lower confirmed number is shown.
02. Timeline
Pieced together from police, local officials, and news reports. Times are approximate.
Seismic stations picked up a signal near the border. The US Geological Survey first called it a magnitude 4.4 earthquake, then revised it: the signal was a magnitude 5.2 glacial collapse, not a quake.
The Bhotekoshi River suddenly rose at the border. It wasn't raining nearby, so plain rain wasn't the cause.
Timure and Syabrubesi, two border towns, were hit hardest. Nine bank branches were swept away. The local helipad was destroyed, which slowed rescue by air.
The flood reached towns further downstream: Betrawati and Trishuli Bazar, Galchhi and Dhunge Bazaar, then past Muglin into the Narayani. 14 hydropower projects were damaged.
Nepal's Army, Police, and Armed Police are searching for survivors with helicopters. China has confirmed deaths on its side too.
The same figures as the counters at the top of this page, from the same file, so the two cannot disagree. Last moved 8 September 2026, 7:57 pm NPT, from Nepalnews, 6:00.
| Figure | Count | What the source said |
|---|---|---|
| confirmed dead | 1,358 | Nepalnews at 6:00: 1,358. Corrected down from 1,381. |
| listed missing in Nepal | 8,898 | Khabarhub: 8,898. Up from 5,083. |
| missing on the China side | 546 | Xinhua reports 546 people missing around Gyirong Port in Xizang (Tibet) as of 6pm Saturday, including 261 foreign nationals. Combined with Nepal's 2,502-person list that is 3,048 people unaccounted for across both countries, although the two countries' counts may overlap. |
| rescued so far | 13,583 | Nepalnews: 13,583. Up from 13,399. |
| hydropower projects damaged | 14 | The Nepal Electricity Authority reports 14 projects damaged with a combined capacity of about 748 MW: 9 operating plants (354 MW) and 5 under construction (394 MW). Named ones include Rasuwagadhi, Chilime, Sanjen Khola, Upper Trishuli-1, Trishuli and Devighat, plus a 220 kV substation. An earlier same-day Ministry of Energy estimate said 431 MW. |
| damage, early estimate | Rs 200bn | Physical Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamsal put damage to roads and bridges at about Rs 200 billion on 26 August, and called it preliminary. Hydropower and private property are not in that figure. The whole 42 km road from Betrawati to the Rasuwagadhi border crossing was destroyed at multiple points. |
| relief fund deposited | Rs 5.04bn | Prime Minister Balen Shah said Rs 5.04 billion had been deposited in nine commercial bank accounts for flood rescue and relief, Onlinekhabar reported at 9:04pm Saturday. The same report said another US$1.8 million was deposited at Himalayan Bank and Laxmi Bank. This is money deposited in the fund, not the separate Rs 1 billion released by the government. |
Search and rescue is still running, so every number here can change. Tap any counter at the top of the page for the sentence it came from.
03. Cause
No government has confirmed the cause yet. It was not raining nearby, so ordinary rain is ruled out. Best current read, from experts reviewing satellite images:
Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and independent glaciologists, using satellite images shared through ICIMOD, say an ice-and-rock avalanche blocked the Lhende Khola about 20 km upstream of the Miteri Bridge. That made a temporary lake behind the debris, which then burst. They call it preliminary.
A lake of meltwater held back by ice can break free on its own, with no rain. Over 20 lakes in Nepal are rated dangerous, and many more sit unmonitored across the border.
The US Geological Survey first logged a magnitude 4.4 earthquake at 08:37, minutes before the water rose. It has since revised that: the signal was a magnitude 5.2 glacial collapse, not a tectonic quake. The tremor was the collapse being recorded, not a separate trigger.
The Lende Khola (Lhende) valley in Kyirong county, Tibet, upstream of Rasuwagadhi. Photos are openly licensed, pulled live from Wikimedia Commons with credit.
Map centred near the suspected landslide site, about 20 km north of the border inside Tibet. Exact coordinates are approximate, from published reporting.
04. Questions
The things people are searching for most, answered short.
On the morning of 26 August 2026 a flash flood came down the Bhote Koshi river from the Tibet side of the border into Rasuwa district. Timure, Syabrubesi, the Rasuwagadhi border crossing and around a dozen riverside settlements took the heaviest impact, and the water carried on down the Trishuli into the Narayani. The Nepal Electricity Authority reports 14 hydropower projects damaged, about 748 MW.
No government has confirmed a cause. The leading explanation, from Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and independent glaciologists working with satellite imagery shared through ICIMOD, is an ice-and-rock avalanche that blocked the Lhende Khola inside Tibet about 20 km upstream of the Miteri Bridge, forming a temporary debris-dammed lake that then burst. The US Geological Survey has reassessed the tremor recorded minutes earlier as a magnitude 5.2 glacial collapse, not an earthquake. Heavy local rainfall in Rasuwa is ruled out. Full explanation.
Rasuwa took the first and heaviest impact, especially Timure, Syabrubesi and the Rasuwagadhi border crossing. The surge then moved through Betrawati and Trishuli Bazar in Nuwakot, Galchhi and Dhunge Bazaar in Dhading, and past Muglin into the Narayani. Bodies have been recovered in Chitwan, Nawalparasi East and West, Gorkha and Tanahun as well. Three deaths are confirmed on the Chinese side near Gyirong.
Kathmandu itself was not flooded. The damage runs along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river valleys in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, north-west of the capital. Road links to the Chinese border through Rasuwagadhi have been badly disrupted.
Nepal Police 100, ambulance 102, fire brigade 101, traffic police 103, and 112 from any mobile phone. The National Emergency Operation Centre disaster hotline is 1149, the Nepal Police toll-free helpline is 1155, and Tourist Police is 1144. All of them are tap-to-dial on the Emergency tab.
The Government of Nepal's own channel is the Prime Minister's Natural Disaster Relief Fund, run by the Office of the Prime Minister. Bank account details and the official QR code are on the Help tab. Be careful of fake appeals, which appear within hours of any disaster.
Syabrubesi is the main gateway to Langtang trekking and was directly hit, including the loss of its helipad. Roads along the river valley have been damaged. Check with Nepal Police, the Tourist Police on 1144, and your trekking operator before travelling.
Today · Nepal + world
9 September 2026, 10:43 am NPT
Teenager swept away by river in Bajura, search operation underway
BAJURA: A teenager has gone missing after being swept away by a river in Bajura. Anuj Singh, aged around 16–17, from Jagannath Rural Municipality-3, went missing while attempting to cross the river.
9 September 2026, 6:06 am NPT
किम्रुङ खोलाको बहाव रोकिएपछि कास्की र पर्वतमा उच्च सतर्कता : कस्तो छ जोखिम ?
काठमाडौँ – कास्कीको अन्नपूर्ण गाउँपालिका–११ स्थित किम्रुङ खोलाको बहाव एक्कासि घटेपछि पहिरो खसेर थुनिएको हुनसक्ने आशङ्कामा तल्लो तटीय क्षेत्रमा उच्च सतर्कता अपनाइएको छ ।
Photograph: Khabarhub
8 September 2026, 7:57 pm NPT updated
Latest reported figures: 1,358 confirmed dead
The confirmed death toll in Nepal has been corrected down to 1,358, from 1,381, Nepalnews reports. The number of people rescued has risen to 13,583, from 13,399, Nepalnews reports.
Photograph: Nepal News
8 September 2026, 10:00 am NPT
अस्ट्रेलियाकी विदेशमन्त्री वोङले गरिन् नेपाली दूतावास पुगेर शोक पुस्तिकामा हस्ताक्षर
२३ भदौ, काठमाडौं । भोटेकोशी बाढीका कारण भएको ठूलो मानवीय क्षतिप्रति दुःख व्यक्त गर्दै अस्ट्रेलियाकी विदेशमन्त्री पेनी वोङले क्यानबेरास्थित नेपाली राजदूतावास पुगेर शोक पुस्तिकामा हस्ताक्षर गरेकी छन्।
Photograph: Online Khabar
8 September 2026, 9:32 am NPT
Landslide blocks Mahakali Highway
BAITADI: A landslide occurred at Bitakam of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality-5 in the district has blocked the Mahakali Highway. It blockage obstructed vehicles entering the district.
Photograph: Nepal News
8 September 2026, 8:40 am NPT
Engineer goes missing since Bhotes Koshi floods, spouse’s plea for rescue
JANAKPURDHAM: It has been nearly two weeks the devastative Bhote Koshi flood struck Nepal from Rasuwa district, but the whereabouts of an engineer working in a hydropower project of Rasuwa is still unknown.
Photograph: Nepal News
7 September 2026, 10:10 am NPT
भोटेकाेशी बाढी : जलवायुको मूल्य कसले चुकाउने ?
भदौ १० गते रसुवाको भोटेकोशीमा आएको विनाशकारी बाढीले पानीको सतह मात्र बढाएन, नेपालसामु एउटा असहज तर अपरिहार्य प्रश्न पनि उभ्यायो- जलवायु परिवर्तनको जोखिम बढ्दै जाँदा त्यसको मूल्य कसले चुकाउने?
Photograph: Khabarhub
7 September 2026, 9:38 am NPT
Rs 11 billion in flood relief funds remains unspent in government coffers
KATHMANDU: Billions of rupees collected from domestic and international sources for flood victims remain unspent in government coffers.
Photograph: Nepal News
7 September 2026, 6:59 am NPT updated
The number of people rescued has risen to 13,399, from 13,098, Nepalnews reports.
Where a report describes one district or one stretch of river rather than the national figure, it is not used here. Out of contact does not mean dead.
Photograph: Nepal News
6 September 2026, 9:44 pm NPT
भोटेकोशी बाढी : वीर अस्पतालमा उपचाररत १७ जना डिस्चार्ज
काठमाडौं – रसुवाको भोटेकोशी नदीमा भदौ १० गते बुधबार बिहान आएको बाढीमा परी घाइते भएर उद्धार गरी वीर अस्पताल उपचारका लागि ल्याइएका २० जनामध्ये १७ जना डिस्चार्ज भएका छन् ।
Photograph: Khabarhub
6 September 2026, 9:43 pm NPT
Food supply begins thru drone in Rasuwa
RASUWA: Food supply has begun through drone at the Bhotekoshi flood-affected villages and settlements in Rasuwa district.
Photograph: Nepal News
6 September 2026, 7:56 pm NPT updated
Latest reported figures: 1,381 confirmed dead
The confirmed death toll in Nepal has risen to 1,381, from 1,344, Nepalnews reports.
Where a report describes one district or one stretch of river rather than the national figure, it is not used here. Out of contact does not mean dead.
Photograph: Nepal News
5 September 2026, 7:00 pm NPT updated
Latest reported figures: 1,344 confirmed dead
The confirmed death toll in Nepal has risen to 1,344, from 1,342, Nepalnews reports.
Photograph: Nepal News
5 September 2026, 11:06 am NPT
जलवायु परिवर्तनको क्षतिपूर्तिका लागि विश्व समुदायले नेपाललाई साथ दिनुपर्छ: महासचिव पोखरेल
काठमाडौँ – नेकपा एमालेका महासचिव शंकर पोखरेलले भोटेकोशी बाढीको समस्या उत्पन्न गराउनेले नेपाललाई क्षतिपूर्ति तिर्नुपर्ने बताएका छन्।
Photograph: Khabarhub
5 September 2026, 11:00 am NPT
The geotechnical trap inside Nepal’s hydropower tunnels
Nepal Army team at the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower tunnel. On August 26, catastrophic debris flows swept down the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors , exposing severe vulnerabilities in Himalayan hydropower infrastructure.
Photograph: OnlineKhabar English News
4 September 2026, 10:05 pm NPT updated
Latest reported figures: 1,294 confirmed dead
The confirmed death toll in Nepal has risen to 1,294, from 1,290, Onlinekhabar reports. The number of people listed missing has risen to 8,898, from 5,083, Khabarhub reports.
Where a report describes one district or one stretch of river rather than the national figure, it is not used here. Out of contact does not mean dead.
Photograph: Nepal News
4 September 2026, 10:21 am NPT
सुरुङबाट १० दिनपछि निकालिएका साहको स्वास्थ्य अवस्था सामान्य
१९ भदौ, काठमाडौं । त्रिशूली थ्री 'ए'को सुरुङबाट जीवित्तै उद्धार गरिएका सञ्जय साहको स्वास्थ्य अवस्था सामान्य रहेको पाइएको छ । उद्धार गरिपछि नेपाली सेनाले उनको स्वास्थ्य जाँच गराउँदा सामान्य रहेको देखिएको हो ।
Photograph: Online Khabar
4 September 2026, 10:20 am NPT
Minister Rawal for carrying out exemplary works in post-disaster recovery as well
NUWAKOT: Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration, Pratibha Rawal, has underscored on carrying out exemplary works in the post-disaster recovery phase as well.
Photograph: Nepal News
Updated 9 September 2026, 10:48 am NPT
Official
The feed below refreshes on its own. UN disaster alerts, the US Geological Survey earthquake service, and named newsrooms, pulled through this site's own server. Each card is a headline and a link, so you read the story at the source.
The written summaries further down are checked by a person. This feed is not. Where they disagree, trust the source link.
Death and damage counts are still being confirmed. Six power stations damaged so far.
Army, Police, and Armed Police searching by helicopter where landing is still possible.
China confirms deaths on its side, near Gyirong. Reviewing its own flood monitoring.
Official bulletins, rewritten short. The source sits beside each one so you can read the original.
Search and rescue is running in Rasuwa and Nuwakot. Army, Police and Armed Police teams are working the river corridor, with helicopters used where they can still land.
Read NDRRMA's own bulletins ↗Missing-person reports are being taken at district police offices. Families are asked to give a full name, age, last known location and what the person was wearing.
Read Nepal Police posts ↗The Prime Minister's Natural Disaster Relief Fund is the government's own channel for donations towards rescue and rebuilding. Bank details are on the Help tab.
Office of the Prime Minister ↗The flood came down the Bhotekoshi from the Tibet side on a morning with no rain nearby. Experts studying satellite images point to a mass of ice and rock that dammed a mountain stream and then gave way. No government has confirmed a cause yet.
See the full source listEvery incident recorded nationwide in the last three weeks, from BIPAD, the government's own disaster portal. Floods, landslides, fires, all of it. A record, not a news summary.
From UN OCHA's ReliefWeb and GDACS, refreshed automatically. Agency Facebook pages are linked below.
Official channels, straight from the response:
Three things about this valley that decided how bad it got
The river drops about 3,000 metres in under 40 km, one of the steepest drops in the Himalaya. Water from a burst upstream can reach a village in under an hour. Almost no time to run.
Above the join it is called Bhotekoshi. Below it, Trishuli. Same water. In Tibet the upper river is the Kyirong Tsangpo, fed by the Lende Khola, where the ice and rock came down.
A broadly similar flood hit this same river in July 2025, traced to a lake draining off the surface of a glacier. Hydropower on this corridor has now been damaged twice in just over a year.
Highest first, with what was hit at each one
| Place | Elevation | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Lende Khola, Tibet | ~5,000 m | Suspected ice and rock landslide that dammed, then released, the stream. |
| Rasuwagadhi / Gyirong | ~1,850 m | Border crossing. Customs and the dry port were hit on both sides. |
| Timure | ~1,900 m | Border town. Hit first and hardest. Bank branches and customs post swept away. |
| Syabrubesi | ~1,470 m | Helipad destroyed, which slowed rescue flights. Bhotekoshi meets the Trishuli here. |
| Betrawati | ~730 m | Flood reached here further downstream, still moving fast. |
| Devighat | ~460 m | Furthest downstream site hit. Hydropower station damaged. |
Every number on this site, traced back to the sentence that produced it.
Pick a number below and it tells you who published it, when, and where the counts disagree. Nothing here is typed by hand. Each row is read straight from the briefing it cites.
The board
Last moved 8 September 2026, 7:57 pm NPT, from Nepalnews, 6:00.
Every figure carries the report it came from, and the figures other newsrooms are publishing for the same thing. Where they disagree, the board takes the newest figure stated as a national total.
| Figure | Count | What the source said, and where |
|---|---|---|
| confirmed dead | 1,358 | Nepalnews at 6:00: 1,358. Corrected down from 1,381.english.nepalnews.com ↗What this counter said beforeEarlier note, 14:00 NPT, 30 August, describing a previous figure: Onlinekhabar: 1,114. Up from 768. |
| listed missing in Nepal | 8,898 | Khabarhub: 8,898. Up from 5,083.khabarhub.com ↗What this counter said beforeEarlier note, 10:00 NPT, 3 September, describing a previous figure: Nepalnews: 4,216 still unaccounted for, alongside 1,204 bodies recovered, in the same 2 September bulletin as the current toll. An earlier figure of 5,015 was published here; no bulletin supports it and it has been withdrawn. |
| missing on the China side | 546 | Xinhua reports 546 people missing around Gyirong Port in Xizang (Tibet) as of 6pm Saturday, including 261 foreign nationals. Combined with Nepal's 2,502-person list that is 3,048 people unaccounted for across both countries, although the two countries' counts may overlap. |
| rescued so far | 13,583 | Nepalnews: 13,583. Up from 13,399.english.nepalnews.com ↗What this counter said beforeEarlier note, 19:59 NPT, 2 September, describing a previous figure: NDRRMA's 1pm Sunday situation update reported 8,730 people rescued, Onlinekhabar reported. The report did not publish a current agency or location breakdown for that total, so no sub-rows are inferred. |
| hydropower projects damaged | 14 | The Nepal Electricity Authority reports 14 projects damaged with a combined capacity of about 748 MW: 9 operating plants (354 MW) and 5 under construction (394 MW). Named ones include Rasuwagadhi, Chilime, Sanjen Khola, Upper Trishuli-1, Trishuli and Devighat, plus a 220 kV substation. An earlier same-day Ministry of Energy estimate said 431 MW. |
| since the flood | Day 15 | Counting from the morning of 26 August 2026, when the flood hit. Search, rescue and recovery work is still going on this many days later. |
| damage, early estimate | Rs 200bn | Physical Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamsal put damage to roads and bridges at about Rs 200 billion on 26 August, and called it preliminary. Hydropower and private property are not in that figure. The whole 42 km road from Betrawati to the Rasuwagadhi border crossing was destroyed at multiple points. |
| relief fund deposited | Rs 5.04bn | Prime Minister Balen Shah said Rs 5.04 billion had been deposited in nine commercial bank accounts for flood rescue and relief, Onlinekhabar reported at 9:04pm Saturday. The same report said another US$1.8 million was deposited at Himalayan Bank and Laxmi Bank. This is money deposited in the fund, not the separate Rs 1 billion released by the government. |
The count
From 157 on the evening of the flood to 1,381 now, across 27 published figures from 6 named bodies.
The line only rises because this counts bodies recovered. Where a slower source was still publishing an older, lower figure, that point is left off rather than drawn as a fall.
Recovery
A district here is where a body was found, not where the person was from.
The flood started in Rasuwa; the water then carried people the length of the Trishuli and into the Narayani, which is why most were recovered far downstream.
| District | Share of bodies recovered | Bodies | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chitwan | 363 | 26.6% | |
| Nawalparasi East | 226 | 16.6% | |
| Nawalparasi West | 222 | 16.3% | |
| Nuwakot | 197 | 14.4% | |
| Rasuwa | 174 | 12.7% | |
| Gorkha | 75 | 5.5% | |
| Dhading | 70 | 5.1% | |
| Tanahun | 38 | 2.8% |
Nepal Police bulletin, 8 September 2026, 8:00 pm NPT, totalling 1,365, which is the same total the bulletin itself states. Read the bulletin ↗
The descent
A drop of about 4,540 metres between the ice and the furthest reported damage.
This is why a landslide on the Tibetan side was still moving houses 60 km inside Nepal: on ground this steep the water never had to slow down.
5,000 m
China (Tibet)
High above the Lende Khola on the Tibetan side. Satellite images reviewed by researchers suggest a mass of ice and rock broke away here first. There is no monitoring station upstream of this point on either side of the border.
3,000 m
China (Tibet)
The ice and rock dammed the narrow valley, water built up behind the plug, and the plug then failed. That is the step that turned a landslide into a flood. About 20 km upstream of the Rasuwagadhi crossing. No rain was recorded nearby that morning.
1,850 m
Nepal-China border
The China-Nepal crossing. The Lende Khola and the Kyirong Tsangpo meet here and become the Bhote Koshi. Customs and dry-port facilities were hit on both sides. China has confirmed three deaths near Gyirong.
1,900 m
Rasuwa, Nepal
A border market town, and the worst-hit settlement in Nepal. Nine bank branches and the customs post were swept away.
1,470 m
Rasuwa, Nepal
Gateway town for the Langtang trek, and the point where the Bhote Koshi joins the Trishuli. The helipad was destroyed, which slowed rescue flights into the upper valley on the first day.
730 m
Rasuwa / Nuwakot boundary, Nepal
About 60 km downstream on the district boundary. By here the water had lost height but not force; the bridge and riverside settlements were hit.
460 m
Nuwakot, Nepal
The furthest downstream point where damage has been reported. Devighat Hydropower Station was hit. From the source area down to here is a drop of roughly 4,500 metres.
The missing
These do not add up, and they are not meant to. Out of contact does not mean dead.
Each row counts a different population with a different cut-off; several are an association’s or an embassy’s own estimate rather than a police figure, and they overlap. Summing them would produce a number nobody has published.
898 at 11 projects
Counted by Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal
IPPAN’s own count on 29 August, across Rasuwa and Nuwakot. 361 people had been evacuated and around 300 were believed trapped in the Upper Trishuli-1 tunnel. NDRRMA separately put 933 hydropower workers among the missing.
NDRRMA says 933 hydropower workers are among Nepal's missing28 August 2026, 7:00 pm NPTReported by Bloomberg, Onlinekhabar, The Kathmandu Post, Euronews
More than 1,000
Counted by Nepal Truck Container Transportation Service
The transport association’s own estimate, alongside more than 400 container trucks missing on the Rasuwagadhi to Kerung and Trishuli corridor. Not confirmed by Nepal Police or NDRRMA.
Trucking group says over 1,000 drivers, helpers and traders unaccounted for near the border28 August 2026, 7:00 pm NPTReported by Onlinekhabar
420 out of contact
Counted by Nepal Tourism Board
184 foreign tourists rescued and three more back in contact as of 29 August. The board’s list is separate from NDRRMA’s wider list of 2,426 people.
Tourism Board says 187 tourists rescued or accounted for29 August 2026, 2:44 pm NPTReported by Onlinekhabar, Nepalnews
320 uncontactable
Counted by India’s Ministry of External Affairs
Plus about 100 more people of Indian origin. About 400 Indians stranded on the Chinese side were confirmed safe, 96 of them already back across into Nepal, and 63 Indian workers were rescued from Trishuli-1.
India's foreign ministry says 320 of its nationals still uncontactable28 August 2026, 9:15 pm NPTReported by The Tribune
41 unaccounted for
Counted by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The count moved from 35 to 39 to 38 to 41 in three days. Most were on pilgrimages and tour groups heading for Mount Kailash.
Australia's missing count rises to 41 after Friday evening dip to 3829 August 2026, 3:20 am NPTReported by ABC News Australia, The Standard
32 unaccounted for
Counted by Global Affairs Canada
None among the confirmed dead. About 858 Canadians were registered as being in Nepal and 18 in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Canada pledges $5 million as 32 Canadians remain unaccounted for28 August 2026, 9:00 pm NPTReported by Medicine Hat News, Abbotsford News
Hundreds being traced
Counted by Uttargaya Public School, Bidur
More than 370 students were in the school when the flood hit. The vice principal said about 40 percent had been contacted and the school no longer holds records for the rest.
Two schools swept up in the flood, hundreds of students still being traced28 August 2026, 9:00 pm NPTReported by Onlinekhabar
15 out of contact
Counted by Rasuwa customs office, Timure
The customs post at the border crossing was among the first buildings the water reached.
Toll passes 389 as China warns lake may burst within days27 August 2026, 10:30 pm NPTReported by Nepal Police, Review Nepal, Onlinekhabar, The Kathmandu Post, ICIMOD, Business Standard, ANI
Aid
Each row carries the figure its giver stated, in the currency they stated it in. Bars compare within a currency only.
There is no combined total: adding a euro pledge to a rupee deposit would produce a headline figure nobody published, and a wrong one the moment a rate moved.
Stated in NPR
Damage put at Rs 200 billion, ADB approves $5m emergency grant29 August 2026, 5:56 am NPTReported by Onlinekhabar, The Kathmandu Post, The Rising Nepal, UNICEF
PM says more than Rs 5bn deposited for flood relief29 August 2026, 9:04 pm NPTReported by Onlinekhabar
Damage put at Rs 200 billion, ADB approves $5m emergency grant29 August 2026, 5:56 am NPTReported by Onlinekhabar, The Kathmandu Post, The Rising Nepal, UNICEF
Damage put at Rs 200 billion, ADB approves $5m emergency grant29 August 2026, 5:56 am NPTReported by Onlinekhabar, The Kathmandu Post, The Rising Nepal, UNICEF
Nepal Liquors donates Rs 10.1 million to flood relief fund1 September 2026, 12:36 pm NPTReported by The Himalayan Times
Padma Jyoti Group contributes Rs 10 million to disaster relief fund31 August 2026, 1:38 pm NPTReported by The Himalayan Times
Stated in USD
Damage put at Rs 200 billion, ADB approves $5m emergency grant29 August 2026, 5:56 am NPTReported by Onlinekhabar, The Kathmandu Post, The Rising Nepal, UNICEF
Stated in CAD
Canada pledges $5 million as 32 Canadians remain unaccounted for28 August 2026, 9:00 pm NPTReported by Medicine Hat News, Abbotsford News
Stated in AUD
Australia's missing count rises to 41 after Friday evening dip to 3829 August 2026, 3:20 am NPTReported by ABC News Australia, The Standard
Stated in EUR
European Union pledges 2 million euros in flood aid for Nepal28 August 2026, 11:55 pm NPTReported by The Rising Nepal
50 tonnes
13,200 items, namely tents, blankets, sleeping bags, hard tack and first-aid kits, flown into Kathmandu on two military transport aircraft at about 7am on Sunday 30 August.
China sends 50 tonnes of emergency supplies to Nepal30 August 2026, 11:11 am NPTReported by The Kathmandu Post
5 experts, 4 more to follow
Tunnel-rescue specialists sent by the Ministry of Emergency Management, for the hydropower tunnels in Rasuwa and Nuwakot.
Foreign tunnel-rescue teams now working in flood zone30 August 2026, 9:37 am NPTReported by The Kathmandu Post
11-member team
Reconnaissance team flown to Chilime and Langtang with Nepali Army and Armed Police Force personnel, for specialised tunnel rescue.
Foreign tunnel-rescue teams now working in flood zone30 August 2026, 9:37 am NPTReported by The Kathmandu Post
Inspection team
Experts allowed in to inspect affected areas, alongside the Indian and Chinese tunnel-rescue teams.
Foreign tunnel-rescue teams now working in flood zone30 August 2026, 9:37 am NPTReported by The Kathmandu Post
42 Bailey bridges requested
Nepal asked both countries to build 42 Bailey bridges across Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, the number NDRRMA assessed as urgently needed. India said it would help; no delivery timeline has been published.
Nepal asks India and China to build 42 Bailey bridges in flood zone28 August 2026, 2:50 pm NPTReported by Onlinekhabar
Emergency funding released
The International Federation released emergency funding to the Nepal Red Cross, which is distributing water, tarpaulins, blankets and first-aid supplies.
Red Cross says at least 93,000 people affected by the flood28 August 2026, 6:15 pm NPTReported by The Jerusalem Post, ABC News Australia
One month’s salary each
The Prime Minister and every member of the Council of Ministers to give a month’s pay to the relief fund. The Cabinet also approved a government-to-government purchase of 25,000 tonnes of DAP fertiliser from India for farmers who lost supplies.
Cabinet orders relief package, ministers to give a month's pay28 August 2026, 2:00 pm NPTReported by Onlinekhabar
Damage
Every figure here is preliminary, and the people who published them said so.
Four districts were still being surveyed when the headline damage estimate was given, and it covers roads and bridges only. Hydropower and private property are not in it.
Rs 200 billion
Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Sunil Lamsal’s preliminary estimate, given on the day of the flood. It covers roads and bridges only, not hydropower and not private property, and four districts were still being surveyed when it was given, so it is expected to rise.
Damage put at Rs 200 billion, ADB approves $5m emergency grant29 August 2026, 5:56 am NPTReported by Onlinekhabar, The Kathmandu Post, The Rising Nepal, UNICEF
42 km destroyed
The whole road to the Chinese border crossing, destroyed at multiple points, plus 16 km more elsewhere on the corridor.
14 hydropower projects hit and the whole border road destroyed27 August 2026, 9:30 am NPTReported by UN OCHA / ReliefWeb, The Kathmandu Post, Onlinekhabar
14 projects, about 748 MW
Nine operating plants totalling 354 MW and five under construction totalling 394 MW, on the Nepal Electricity Authority’s count. A same-day Ministry of Energy estimate put the loss at 431 MW, a measure of how fast the assessment was moving.
Damage put at Rs 200 billion, ADB approves $5m emergency grant29 August 2026, 5:56 am NPTReported by Onlinekhabar, The Kathmandu Post, The Rising Nepal, UNICEF
13 swept away
Plus two more outside the district. Rasuwa was cut off from the road network entirely until an alternative light-vehicle route via Tokha and Kalikasthan reopened on 28 August.
Rasuwa reconnected by a light-vehicle road, but still short of almost everything28 August 2026, 5:30 pm NPTReported by Onlinekhabar
18 destroyed, 20 damaged
Across Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, on UNICEF’s count, wider than the 8 damaged schools reported in Rasuwa and Nuwakot the day before. UNICEF says at least 17,000 children are affected and about 10,000 need temporary classrooms and replacement books.
Damage put at Rs 200 billion, ADB approves $5m emergency grant29 August 2026, 5:56 am NPTReported by Onlinekhabar, The Kathmandu Post, The Rising Nepal, UNICEF
9 swept away
At Timure, Syabrubesi and the Rasuwagadhi crossing, in the first hour of the flood. Twenty-six bank employees were reported out of contact.
Toll passes 389 as China warns lake may burst within days27 August 2026, 10:30 pm NPTReported by Nepal Police, Review Nepal, Onlinekhabar, The Kathmandu Post, ICIMOD, Business Standard, ANI
120 sites knocked out
Nepal Telecom had restored 80 of them by 29 August, flying technicians into the most remote towers by helicopter. Phone lines being down is the main reason families cannot reach relatives in the flood zone.
Nepal Telecom restores mobile service at 80 of 120 flood-hit sites29 August 2026, 6:22 am NPTReported by The Rising Nepal
At least 93,000
The IFRC’s head of delegation in Nepal, David Fisher, on 28 August. The broadest estimate published so far, wider than the confirmed dead, missing and rescued counts, and not confirmed by the Nepali government.
Red Cross says at least 93,000 people affected by the flood28 August 2026, 6:15 pm NPTReported by The Jerusalem Post, ABC News Australia
| Project | District | What is reported |
|---|---|---|
| Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project | Rasuwa | Damaged. Sits on the Bhote Koshi immediately below the border crossing. |
| Chilime Hydropower | Rasuwa | Damaged. One of the country’s better-known community-shareholder projects. |
| Sanjen Khola Hydropower | Rasuwa | Damaged, on a Bhote Koshi tributary. |
| Upper Trishuli-1 | Rasuwa / Nuwakot | Damaged. One of the largest projects on the corridor. |
| Upper Trishuli-3B substation | Nuwakot | 220 kV substation damaged, which affects evacuation of power from the whole corridor. Twelve project staff were reported out of contact. The Ministry of Energy said Friday the project camp area is now completely buried under landslide debris, and rescue there is continuing. |
| Trishuli Hydropower Station | Nuwakot | Damaged. One of Nepal’s oldest operating stations. |
| Devighat Hydropower Station | Nuwakot | Damaged. The furthest downstream site where damage has been reported. |
| Where | Amount |
|---|---|
| Central disaster relief fund | Rs 1 billion |
| Rasuwa district | Rs 10 million |
| Nuwakot district | Rs 10 million |
| Dhading district | Rs 5 million |
Cause
No government has confirmed a cause. These are the explanations on the table, ordered by how far the evidence currently carries them.
The order is a reading of what the cited bodies have said, not a finding of its own.
Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and independent glaciologists, working from satellite imagery shared by Chinese counterparts through ICIMOD, put forward a preliminary hypothesis: an ice-and-rock avalanche blocked the Lhende Khola, a Bhote Koshi tributary on the Nepal-China border, roughly 20 km upstream of the Miteri Bridge. That formed a temporary debris-dammed lake, which then burst. This is described as preliminary, and no government has confirmed it.
Santosh Nepal, a water resources and climate change researcher, told Onlinekhabar on Friday that satellite images point to a large mass of ice, snow and rock falling from about 5,000 to 5,500 metres on Langtang Lirung’s northern slope and dropping nearly 2,000 metres into the Lhende Khola. He said the impact’s energy may have rapidly melted snow and ice, sending a sudden surge of water downstream without a lake first forming and bursting. He compared the mechanism to Uttarakhand’s 2021 Chamoli disaster, and said it is too early to conclude what happened without more satellite data and a field investigation. This is one researcher’s preliminary reading, not a government or ICIMOD finding.
The US Geological Survey initially logged a magnitude 4.4 earthquake at 08:37 local time, minutes before the flood. It has since revised that analysis and concluded the signal was in fact a magnitude 5.2 glacial collapse rather than a tectonic earthquake, based on nearby seismic stations, long-period seismic waves and satellite imagery. In other words the tremor was not a separate trigger; it was the collapse itself being recorded.
A broadly similar flood on the same river in July 2025 was ultimately attributed to the drainage of a supraglacial lake, meltwater pooled on the surface of a glacier. ICIMOD scientists say cascading glacial hazards of this kind are increasing at an "unprecedented" pace across the Hindu Kush Himalaya.
Meteorologists have ruled out heavy local rainfall in Rasuwa itself as the cause, while noting that satellite data showed rainfall on the Tibetan side of the border. Rainfall alone does not explain a surge of this size arriving this fast, which is what pointed investigators upstream and across the border in the first place.
Gaps
A missing figure is a finding too. These are the questions no source has answered.
No government or humanitarian body has published a consolidated figure for people displaced, sheltering or in need. UN OCHA named it as the priority information gap. The nearest thing is the IFRC’s "at least 93,000 affected", which measures something wider.
No government has confirmed a cause. Two preliminary explanations are on the table. One is an ice-and-rock avalanche that dammed the Lhende Khola and then burst; the other is an ice and rock fall off Langtang Lirung that generated the surge directly. They are not the same mechanism.
The Kathmandu Post reported a breach on 28 August. Nepal’s government spokesperson said the same afternoon that Nepal had only been told glaciers broke and sent water over the top, not that a dam failed. The two accounts have never been reconciled.
Nepal Police, NDRRMA and the Tourism Board count different populations with different cut-offs, and foreign ministries keep their own lists of their own nationals. NDRRMA widened who it counts on 28 August, which nearly doubled the number overnight. None of these lists has been merged.
The only figure published is Rs 200 billion for roads and bridges, called preliminary by the minister who gave it, with four districts still unsurveyed and energy infrastructure and private property excluded.
Sources
The counters are resolved across all of these at once.
Primary sources. Where these disagree with anything on this site, these are right.
Situation reporting, hazard alerts and open scientific data.
Headlines and links only. Stories are read at the source, not copied here.
Specific stories checked while writing the event pages.
Used under the terms each provider publishes.
100Nepal Police, from any phone In immediate danger, call first. Everything else on this tab can wait.
Emergency
Tap any number below to dial it. These are national numbers and work from any phone in Nepal. From a mobile, 112 also reaches emergency services.
100 / 101 / 102 / 103 / 112 confirmed against the public emergency-number register. 1149, 1155 and 1144 are the published hotlines of the National Emergency Operation Centre and Nepal Police. If a line is busy, try 100 or 112.
Numbers below the national ones change by district and by hospital, so this links to the official directories that publish them rather than printing digits that may be out of date. Every link is a government or Red Cross page.
Call the nearest District Police Office or 100. Give full name, age, last known location, and what they were wearing.
Register the same details with the local ward office, they hold the evacuation and shelter lists.
If the person may have crossed into China at Rasuwagadhi, tell the police that specifically. Cross-border checks are handled separately.
Keep one phone number reachable and charged. Rescue teams call back, often from an unknown number.
Contact your own country's embassy in Kathmandu first, they coordinate directly with Nepal Police on foreign nationals. The Department of Immigration holds entry records that help confirm whether someone entered the district.
Straight from the US Geological Survey, updated automatically. Aftershocks and new quakes in the Nepal region appear here first.
Give
Every link goes to Nepal's own government fund. This site never handles your money.
Nepal's own government fund for disaster rescue and rebuilding. The only place this page recommends. Bank details below are transcribed from the Prime Minister's Office's own graphic.
The government opened its own online donation gateway on 27 August 2026: pmdrf.nchl.com.np. Run by Nepal Clearing House for the Office of the Prime Minister. International and Nepali cards, NepalPay QR, connectIPS, mobile banking and wallets. You are charged in Nepali rupees, so your own bank sets the exchange rate.
This is the only payment link on this site, and it is here because the Office of the Prime Minister published it itself. The older address pmrelief.opmcm.gov.np still does not load, checked 28 Aug 2026.
| Bank | Account |
|---|---|
| Himalayan Bank (USD account) | 01905631210046 |
| Standard Chartered Bank Nepal | 01013243801 02013243801 |
| Rastriya Banijya Bank | 1130100003762001 1130100000006006 |
| Everest Bank | 00100105200270 00101102200012 |
| Nepal Bank | 00211600510039000003 00200100510039000001 |
| Global IME Bank | 00401010000057 00411010000005 |
| Nabil Bank | 1710017505285 |
| Agricultural Development Bank | 0100201002907014 |
Prime Minister's Relief Fund (general, not disaster-specific):
| Bank | Account |
|---|---|
| Rastriya Banijya Bank | 1430100000025006 1430100001164001 |
Official QR, from PMO Nepal directly.
Blood is needed after any disaster; the Nepal Red Cross runs collection across Kathmandu. Verified local photos, missing-person details and shelter reports also help, they are what response teams work from.
Fake relief appeals appear within hours of every disaster. Check the account name matches a registered organisation, be suspicious of personal wallets, and never send money because a message says the deadline is tonight.
Learn
Nepal sits where two continents collide, under monsoon rain and below melting ice. Five hazards come out of that. Which one you are facing changes what you should do.
High in the mountains, melting glaciers leave lakes behind. The wall holding one back is often just loose rock and ice. When it fails, the whole lake leaves at once and races down the valley as a wall of water, mud, and boulders.
Warning signs: the river suddenly rises or suddenly stops, on a day with no rain. A roar from upstream. Water turning grey or brown.
What to do: go uphill, away from the river, immediately. Not along the road, roads follow rivers. You may have minutes, not hours.
Nepal's exposure: more than 20 glacial lakes are classified as potentially dangerous, and many more sit across the border in Tibet where Nepal has no monitoring.
India is pushing under Asia at about 2 cm a year. That strain releases as earthquakes. The 2015 Gorkha earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people.
What to do during shaking: drop, cover, hold on. Get under a sturdy table, away from windows. Do not run outside mid-shake, falling masonry is the main killer.
After: expect aftershocks. Avoid damaged buildings, steep slopes and riverbanks, a quake loosens both.
Steep slopes plus heavy rain plus cut roads equals landslides. They cause a large share of Nepal's monsoon deaths every year, usually at night, usually with no warning.
Warning signs: new cracks in the ground or in walls, doors and windows suddenly sticking, tilting trees or poles, a rumbling that grows.
What to do: move sideways off the slope path, not straight downhill. If indoors on a slope at night in heavy rain, sleep on the uphill side of the house.
June to September brings most of Nepal's yearly rain. In the Tarai plains, rivers spread out slowly over days; in the hills they rise in hours.
What to do: never walk or drive into moving water. Thirty centimetres will float a car, fifteen will knock an adult over. Turn around.
Watch: the BIPAD portal publishes live river gauge levels for major rivers.
Less talked about, still deadly. Lightning kills around 100 people a year in Nepal. Dry-season fires spread fast through village housing; winter cold waves hit the Tarai hardest.
Lightning rule: when you hear thunder within 30 seconds of a flash, go inside for 30 minutes after the last thunder. Not under a lone tree.
Know a route uphill, not along the road. Roads follow rivers, and they flood first.
Loud river noise, or water rising with no rain, is the warning. Move first, ask questions later.
Keep ID, cash, medicines and a torch in one bag you can grab in the dark.
Pick a family meeting spot above the flood line. Phones stop working first.
If you run a shop or homestay by the river, plan to lose the ground floor. Know what's load-bearing.
Save the emergency numbers on the next tab into your phone now, not during the emergency.
A burst lake can reach a village in under an hour. Some Nepali lakes now have sensors and sirens. Most, especially those across the border, do not, so the first warning is often the sound of the river itself.
Himalayan ice is melting faster than it is replaced. More meltwater means more and bigger lakes held back by weaker walls, in valleys where more people now live and build than a generation ago.
Learn more from the people who study this:
Sources
If something here is not traceable to one of these, it should not be here. Tell us and we will pull it.
Wikipedia, 2026 Nepal floods
CNN live coverage
NPR
US News (Reuters)
Al Jazeera
The Week
Kathmandu Post
India TV News, satellite image analysis
GDACS, the UN and European Commission disaster alert system.
USGS earthquake service, public domain.
ReliefWeb, UN OCHA humanitarian reporting.
Wikimedia Commons, for the openly licensed photos and video.
Satellite imagery © Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics and the GIS user community, used under Esri's attribution terms.
Terrain from OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA).
Street map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Place links open in Google Maps in a new tab; no Google imagery is copied onto this page.
