Nepal floods: 160 dead, over 800 missing including Indian pilgrims

At least 160 people have been killed and more than 800 are missing after a flash flood and mudslide struck the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors along the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday morning. The disaster swept away settlements, hydropower units, security posts and the pilgrimage route used by Kailash Mansarovar yatris from India.

Nepal Police have confirmed 157 deaths within Nepal, while Chinese authorities reported three more fatalities in Tibet's Gyirong county. A total of 844 people remain untraced — 466 foreigners from 28 countries, 113 Nepalis, and 265 reported missing by China. Among the missing are at least 133 Indian nationals and 37 non-resident Indians.

Many of the missing were Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims, with nearly 400 of them, including the Indians, either preparing to cross the border or travelling through the region when the flood hit. The disaster has also affected citizens of several other nations, with 54 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons, 24 Canadians, 19 Malaysians and 8 Koreans among those unaccounted for.

Rescue teams from the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have been deployed with helicopters, drones, boats and ground units. However, operations have been hampered by poor weather, thick mud, washed-out roads and high river levels. Authorities have moved families from vulnerable areas to safer locations.

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal informed parliament that 29 police personnel and 44 soldiers remain missing after floodwaters destroyed their barracks in Rasuwa. Customs officials, hydropower workers and other employees stationed near the border are also unaccounted for. At the 20 MW Langtang Khola Hydropower Project, dozens of workers have not been contacted since the deluge.

The flood has caused extensive damage to critical infrastructure across northern and central Nepal. Preliminary government estimates indicate at least 19 bridges and about 40 km of roads have been damaged or washed away. Thirteen hydropower projects have been affected, and around 200 trucks have been lost. The government has declared the worst-affected areas as disaster-hit zones for the next three months and ordered free medical treatment for the injured.

Across the border in Tibet, flooding and landslides severed roads, communications and electricity around the Gyirong port, a key Nepal-Tibet crossing used by pilgrims. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for all-out efforts to locate and rescue those who are missing.

Nepal's Prime Minister has appealed for patience and unity as search-and-rescue operations continue. The full scale of the tragedy is still unfolding, with rescue teams working round the clock under challenging conditions. The international community has expressed solidarity with the affected families.