The deadly Nepal flash floods have killed at least 359 people and left more than 1,300 people missing as the search continues for survivors, Nepali police said on Thursday.
A sudden flash flood on the Bhotekoshi River at 9 am on Wednesday caused widespread destruction across three districts in Nepal, leading to loss of lives and people missing, including foreign tourists. The flood swept away private and public property in one of the country’s worst disasters in recent years.
Nepalese officials said that the flood rushed downstream after hitting the main market area of the district and devoured people, animals, buildings and public infrastructure on its way.
288 Indians are still missing, while around 200 undertaking the Mansarovar Yatra have sought evacuation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed. The ministry also said that India has sent two military aircraft with 48 tonnes of supplies to flood-devastated Nepal, including solar lamps, hygiene kits and over eight tonnes of medicine and food.
Bridges and roads have been damaged by the floods, and Nepal’s security forces have intensified rescue and relief operations using helicopters and ground teams.
Help in the form of medical assistance, temporary shelters, food, water and medicines is being provided to people in need.
The disaster in Nepal and Tibet is not a one-off. The increasingly unstable Himalayan ice system threatens communities, infrastructure and water supplies across one of the world’s most densely populated regions.
The region saw similar flash floods in August 2025, when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed because of high temperatures. Nine people were killed, and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged.
