Flash floods in Nepal have caused the deaths of more than 350 people with 1,000 still missing as search efforts continue.

On 26th August 2026, a catastrophic flash flood was triggered after a wall of mud, rock, and ice collapsed in neighbouring China.

An overhanging glacial ice mass plunged into Cirenma Co glacial lake, sending nearly 20 million cubic metres of water and debris into Nepal.

Rescuers are still searching for survivors while emergency helicopters are being used to drop supplies to thousands of people in nearby towns and valleys.

The flood occurred in the Bhote Koshi River of Rasuwa District, and also severely impacted riverbank areas in Nuwakot, Dhading, and Gorkha districts.

The Ministry of Home Affairs Nepal has said that the government is still assessing the total human and material damage.

The Armed Police Force (APF) of Nepal has said that APF personnel from units in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and Chitwan have been deployed with rescue equipment, while mass casualty vehicles are patrolling to provide first aid to survivors.

Additionally, water purification and medicine distribution has begun in displacement camps to prevent cholera and other waterborne diseases.

The APF is also maintaining communication with Chinese security authorities regarding the possibility of further flooding.

The Red Cross has said that multiple bridges have been washed away and major roads have been disrupted, ‘leaving some of the worst-affected communities extremely difficult to reach.’

It added that these access constraints were making it more difficult for responders to assess the full scale of the disaster.

Nepal’s disaster authority has stated that a lake formed by a blockage in the river at the site of Wednesday’s flood is rising and at risk of bursting, which could result in another major flood.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah had travelled to assess the damage in Nuwakot and upon returning to the capital, Kathmandu, said in a statement that he spoke directly to the people affected.

‘The situation is still challenging. All the state agencies are operating at full capacity. Our first priority now is to save the life of each citizen, search and rescue of the missing, treat the injured, and provide immediate relief to the affected families,’ he said.

Footage filmed from a military helicopter surveying the area and broadcast on state television showed that buildings along the China-Nepal border have been destroyed by the mudslide.