26.08.2026 22:11
The death toll from the flood disaster in Rasuwa, Nepal, near the Chinese border, and its surroundings is continuously rising. As rivers overflowed and dams broke, villages were submerged, and the death toll has risen to 157. It has been learned that hundreds of people swept away by the floodwaters are missing.
A flood occurred in the morning hours in Rasuwa, a mountainous region in Nepal, and its surrounding areas.
TOLL RISING
Officials noted that the flood damaged settlements and buildings around the Bhotekoshi River and stated that search and rescue efforts by law enforcement are ongoing. The death toll from the flood has risen to 157.
HUNDREDS UNACCOUNTED FOR
According to data from the Prime Minister's Office, 44 security personnel and 391 foreign nationals are missing.
Nepali media reported that those unaccounted for were in the region for a religious visit to the Kailash Mansarovar area in China's Tibet Autonomous Region, which borders Rasuwa.
BAD WEATHER HAMPERING RESCUE EFFORTS
According to officials, search and rescue operations are continuing with helicopters from the Nepali army and private companies.
Meanwhile, due to adverse weather conditions, some helicopters had to turn back, and it is stated that sending additional helicopters to the region is becoming difficult.
CHINESE PRESIDENT CALLS FOR EVACUATION
According to the Xinhua news agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered the start of search and rescue efforts after the floods in Nepal reached near the Gyirong border crossing in the Tibet Autonomous Region and caused civilian casualties.
Xi also tasked regional authorities with evacuating residents and providing medical treatment to the injured.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang also ordered the immediate identification of the number of people affected and missing due to the floods, and increased cooperation and communication with regional authorities.
According to reports in the Nepali press, officials investigating the cause of the flood are focusing on the possibility of a nearby glacial lake overflowing.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in a post on his account on the US-based company X's social media platform, announced that a plane carrying humanitarian aid supplies had arrived in Nepal's capital Kathmandu and that they continue efforts to provide more aid.
LANDSLIDES ALSO OCCURRED IN TIBET
On the other hand, the disaster was not limited to Nepal and also affected the Chinese side. Severe landslides occurred in the town of Gyirong on the Tibet-Nepal border. According to China's state news agency, roads to the Shigatse region were completely closed due to the landslides, while communication and electricity infrastructure in the area collapsed. In a statement from the Gyirong county emergency management center, it was stated that 3 people lost their lives in the landslide caused by the flood, and 268 people are still missing.