Nepal Flood Disaster Tracker 2026

On 26 August 2026, a massive rock-and-ice avalanche detached from the Langtang range near the Nepal–China border, crashing into the Lhende River in Tibet and forming a temporary ice dam. When it failed, a catastrophic surge tore down into the Trishuli River in Rasuwa and continued roughly 72km through Nuwakot and Dhading before spreading destruction far downstream — the deadliest tolls were ultimately in Chitwan and Nawalparasi, well over 100km from where the flood began. The disaster hit during peak monsoon season, when rivers were already running high.

At least 1,259 people have been confirmed dead and roughly 5,083 remain missing in Nepal (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 3 Sep 2026) across eight districts — Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Chitwan, Tanahun, and Nawalparasi East & West. A further 21 people died and 541 remain missing across the border in Tibet, China — a combined toll of roughly 1,280 dead and 5,600 unaccounted for. Some 590 foreign nationals from 39 countries are among the missing. More than 22,100 children have been affected (OCHA/UNICEF). 41 bridges and 42km of roads have been damaged or destroyed, cutting off remote communities.

Rescue and recovery operations are ongoing more than a week on. Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and international teams are still working in difficult terrain — the UN says some areas remain out of reach. Hundreds of hydropower workers are still feared trapped in flooded tunnels along the Trishuli corridor, with specialist teams from India, China, South Korea, and Australia assisting. On 4 September, two more workers — Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan — were pulled out alive from the Trishuli-3A tunnel nine days after the flood, a hopeful sign after officials had warned survival chances were fading. The Syafrubesi–Rasuwagadhi road (NH42, the Trishuli Corridor linking Kathmandu to the China border) and sections of the Prithvi Highway remain damaged or closed.