- At least 95 people have died and 384 remain missing following a flash flood in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on August 26, 2026.
- Two Irish nationals and 12 English, including a 13-year-old girl, are among those missing while travelling with Alpine Eco Trek.
- The flood originated from an ice avalanche and glacial lake outburst near the Tibet border, surging through the Bhote Koshi River at approximately 9:00 AM.
- Multiple hydropower plants have sustained critical damage, disconnecting 431.1 megawatts of electricity from Nepal’s national grid.
- The Nepal Army has deployed 14 helicopters and rescued 88 individuals, though operations are hindered by ruptured communication networks and severed road access.
A catastrophic flash flood has devastated Nepal’s Rasuwa district along the Nepal-Tibet border, resulting in at least 95 confirmed deaths and leaving 384 people missing, including two Irish nationals. The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River at approximately 9:00 AM local time on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, following a high-altitude ice avalanche and permafrost collapse near the Tibet border that triggered a sudden glacial lake outburst. The wall of debris and water swept through the Timure, Rasuwagadhi, and Syabrubesi areas, causing significant damage to settlements, markets, and police infrastructure.
The two Irish tourists were travelling with Alpine Eco Trek and Expedition (P) Ltd., a Kathmandu-based adventure travel company based in Thamel. Ram Kumar Adhikari, the manager of Alpine Eco Trek, confirmed tha, as well s the two Irish, 12 English and four South African nationals were on the excursion are believed to be missing. They were part of a tour group attempting to cross the Nepal-Tibet border when the glacial lake outburst flood struck. Communication remains entirely cut off in the border zone, and local tourist police are attempting to verify their exact coordinates and safety status.
The Nepal Tourism Board has issued an emergency warning, attempting to track and verify the whereabouts of nearly 400 travellers in the region. A preliminary check found 291 foreign nationals had been reported missing, with more than 100 still awaiting nationality confirmation. Officials have confirmed at least 26 Nepal Police personnel, 9 Armed Police officers, and 44 military members remain missing after border security posts were completely destroyed. Downstream communities along the Trishuli River across five districts, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, and Chitwan, have been urged to immediately evacuate riverside areas.
The Nepal Tourism Board shared, “we are working to verify the whereabouts and safety status of tourists and travellers who were in or travelling through the affected
