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At least eight people have died after massive flash flood after a massive flash flood hit parts of northern Nepal on Wednesday, washing away villages and damaging infrastructure, including a hydropower project, in Rasuwa district near the Tibet border..
The district lies along Nepal’s main trading route with China. The Bhote Koshi River surged at around 9 a.m. local time, reportedly from the direction of Tibet, causing extensive destruction in the border settlement of Timure and the nearby Syapru Besi area.
A massive flash flood surged down Nepal’s Bhote Koshi river near the Tibet border on Wednesday, destroying villages, vehicles, and infrastructure like roads and bridges in the Rasuwa district, prompting warnings and rescue operations by authorities and the Nepal Army.
“We have reports of villages and infrastructure project sites being washed away,” Reuters quoted district administrator Narendra Pariyar as saying. “There could be heavy casualties or loss of property,” he added. “But I cannot say for sure now.”
According to local reports, 40 security personnel including 32 from Nepal Police are missing missing.
Authorities have warned residents living along the riverbanks in several downstream districts to move to safer locations.
“Our logistics company has seven container trucks there, all staffed by Nepali employees. We have lost contact with all of them. There is no signal, so we cannot reach anyone,” the BBC quoted Yee Liang, a Chinese businessman based in Kathmandu, as saying.
According to PTI, a recently constructed bridge was destroyed, while vehicles and goods stored at the customs premises in Rasuwa were swept away.
VIDEO | Nepal: Devastating flash flood causes major damage to markets and hydropower projects in Rasuwa region. More details are awaited.#NepalNews #NepalFlashFlood
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) pic.twitter.com/QQmU1advuw
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 26, 2026
The Nepal Army has dispatched two helicopters to the Trishuli River area, including an MI-17 helicopter equipped with an emergency medical team to support the district hospital in Trishuli.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said rescue and relief teams had been deployed to assist affected communities.
“Instructions have been given … to move the people living in the lower areas to safer places,” he said, urging people living along the river to exercise extra caution and remain alert.
The cause of the sudden flooding remains unclear. However, the BBC reported that melting snow in the Bhote Koshi River, which flows from Tibet into Nepal, could have contributed to the sudden surge in water levels.
The Bhote Koshi river originates in Tibet and flows through Nepal before joining the Trishuli river, which eventually enters India as the Gandak river.
With inputs from agencies
