The death toll in Nepal has risen to 359 a day after flash floods devastated the Himalayan nation, a spokesperson for the Nepali Police said Thursday. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has put the number of Indians missing at 290.
A wall of mud and rock appeared to collapse into a river on the Himalayan border of Nepal and Tibet Wednesday, triggering a catastrophic flash flood in Nepal. Rescuers are using helicopters to scour for hundreds still missing.
On Wednesday, India dispatched 10 tonnes of humanitarian assistance and essential medicines aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130J aircraft, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said Wednesday. Supplies include emergency items such as temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps, and medicines.
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah also expressed deep appreciation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s phone call expressing solidarity, and India’s support as the Himalayan country grapples with the devastation.
Nepal flood | LIVE UPDATES
9.30 pm: Nepal’s ruling party and opposition call for unity
In the wake of the floods that occurred in the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa district, ministers and opposition leaders in Nepal have taken a unified approach toward tackling the disaster and providing relief and rescue operations.
Read this ground report by Akanksha Mishra:
Nepal’s ruling party and opposition call for unity after deadly flash flood
9.27 pm: Will Nepal be hit by a second flood?
Chinese authorities have warned that a large artificial barrier lake has formed in Nepal. Satellite imagery suggests that this lake, situated in the same area where Nepal’s devastating floods began, is already overflowing and could spill over further in the coming days.
Read this report by Janaki Pande:
Will Nepal be hit by a second flood? China flags high risk of ‘breach’ in a new barrier lake
9.24 pm: Inside Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Hospital—ThePrint ground report
Thirty-one people rescued after being injured in the 26 August flash floods in northern Nepal have been brought to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, including one Indian national. Kathmandu District Police have also set up a help desk at the hospital where families searching for missing relatives can register their names.
Read this ground report by ThePrint’s Akanksha Mishra:
Inside Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Hospital. Frantic families, flood wards, 1 Indian in ER
9.24 pm: 910 missing, says Nepal PM Balen Shah
Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah Thursday said that the country’s state machinery has been mobilised at “full capacity” to deal with the devastating flash floods that have killed 359 people and left 910 missing or out of contact.
Shah said this in a statement on Facebook after visiting the flood-hit Nuwakot earlier in the day, where he assessed the situation and spoke with affected residents, local representatives, security personnel, health workers and others involved in rescue and relief operations.
9.22 pm: Death toll climbs as 359 bodies recovered so far
The Nepal flash floods death toll has risen to 359, while 910 people remain missing or unreachable.
According to the latest update issued by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), as of 6.20 pm (local time) Thursday, 359 bodies have been recovered from eight districts.
7.04 pm: 285 Indian nationals still unreachable, 33 workers rescued
The Ministry of External Affairs has said that as of 6.45 pm Thursday, 285 Indian nationals were still not contactable. Meanwhile 33 Indian workers of the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project have been rescued so far. These include 21 from Tamil Nadu.
5.50 pm: Watch ThePrint’s ground report from Kathmandu
Flash floods triggered by a massive ice avalanche along the Nepal-Tibet border have devastated parts of northern Nepal, leaving around 800 people missing and at least 188 bodies recovered. Rescue teams are searching across affected districts, while families continue to register missing persons at help desks in Kathmandu. Scientists are still investigating what caused the massive block of ice to fall into the river and trigger the devastating surge downstream. Akanksha Mishra reports from Nepal:
5.43 pm: Drone visuals show devastation in Nuwakot
Drone visuals from flash flood-hit Devighat in Nuwakot district show the scale of destruction after the tragedy. Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority has put the death toll at 258.
Watch:
5.40 pm: Pilgrimage groups from Mumbai, Kolkata among those missing
“I spoke to my father the day before yesterday. Since yesterday, I have been trying to get any information about him. I have been calling people who travelled with him, going to offices, and speaking to officials,” said Mumbai-based Swanand Subhedar, whose 68-year-old retired father, Sunil Subhedar, is among a group of around 60 travellers whose whereabouts remain unclear.
For the families in India, tracing loved ones involves piecing together information from tour operators, officials, and the few phone calls that still get through.
Read this report by ThePrint’s Sakshi Mehra:
Pilgrimage groups from Mumbai, Kolkata among those missing in Nepal. ‘Planned it for 6 months’
5.36 pm: Desperate families post photos, names, last seen
With hundreds still missing after the Nepal floods, families are posting desperate appeals on social media. They are sharing photographs, names and last-known locations in the hope that someone has seen their loved ones or knows what happened to them.
Read this report by ThePrint’s Almina Khatoon:
Nepal floods: Desperate families post photos, names, last seen
4.52 pm: Nepal PM Balen Shah assesses flood damage
Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah visits Nuwakot to assess flood damage.
According to a 2 pm update by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 258 bodies had been recovered following the Bhotekoshi flood.
According to the update, the casualties include 12 in Nuwakot, with one person missing.
Watch:
3.00 pm: 288 Indians missing, says MEA spokesperson
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says at a press briefing that 288 Indians are missing in Nepal after flash floods, while 21 people from Tamil Nadu, who travelled for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, have been rescued.
Update on Indian nationals rescued in Nepal.
21 Indian nationals from Tamil Nadu, who travelled for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, have been rescued in Nepal.
Details below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/zOWUtB30A2
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) August 27, 2026
Jaiswal added: “Two separate groups of 37 people and 49 people from Tamil Nadu who travelled for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra remain uncontactable. A group of 32 nationals from West Bengal were at the point where this disaster happened. A group of 61 nationals from different states and 33 nationals from Kerala are also uncontactable. These are the five major groups who comprise by and large the 288 people we are talking about. We are making all efforts to reach out to our people through the Nepalese authorities.”
Tamil Nadu: 37
West Bengal: 32
Maharashtra: 7
Read this report by ThePrint’s Keshav Padmanabhan:
288 Indians missing in Nepal, at least 200 stranded in China in aftermath of flash floods
Watch the briefing LIVE:
2.15 pm: 178 Indians missing, says Nepal
In its latest update, Nepal Tourism Board has said that trekking and travel companies have identified 644 travellers, including 127 Nepali nationals, who are reported missing. The list includes 178 Indians who are missing, 65 US nationals, 53 Ukrainians, 51 Malaysians, 35 Australians, and so on.
SITUATION UPDATE- 3
Bhotekoshi Flash Flood
August 27, 2026 pic.twitter.com/CO8MGUzzBq— Nepal Tourism Board (@nepaltourismb) August 27, 2026
1.45 pm: Nearly 100 Chinese nationals among missing
Nearly 100 Chinese nationals are missing, China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian has said.
The Chinese embassy in Nepal is seeking further verification with the Nepalese side and has issued an alert, advising Chinese nationals there to promptly relocate to safe ground and take precautions against secondary hazards.
1.30 pm: Global aid headed for Nepal
Countries and organisations have begun sending cash, relief supplies and other assistance to Nepal.
India has sent aid in two tranches—first dispatch of 10 tonnes Wednesday evening, and a second of 37.5 tonnes Thursday.
In addition, China and the European Union have coordinated emergency supplies and cash assistance to Nepal. The US has also sent a disaster response adviser and funds worth $500,000.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that it is releasing 1 million Swiss francs ($1.24 million) in emergency funding to support the Nepal Red Cross Society’s flood response.
The World Health Organisation has also shipped essential emergency medical supplies, including medicines and multipurpose tents.
1.15 pm: Govt engaged in rescue & relief ops, says Balen Shah
In a statement on Facebook, Nepal PM Balendra Shah said that the government is engaging in “immediate and as much as possible rescue and relief”.
“We are facing this calamity with the help and cooperation of the whole country, Nepalese around the world and the international community,” he posted.
He added that flight operations to rescue people began Thursday morning and more than 15 such flights have been completed.
Shah also informed that Nepali Army has been successful in rescuing 116 people from Rasuwa’s Timure, including 95 Nepalese and 21 Indian citizens. “Meanwhile 7 Nepalese citizens have been successfully rescued from the tunnel.”
“Generator, portable mobile tower, medical materials, tents, iron-stone cutting machine etc are being supplied to the affected places. Soon there will be temporary arrangements for mobile network and mobile charging in disaster-affected areas, which will help establish contact. Temporary camp has been prepared in Nuwakot. Food and water has been arranged. The collection of information from everywhere from the drone survey is in the final stage,” he further wrote.
12.35 pm: 5,000 soldiers, police personnel engaged in Nepal’s rescue effort
More than 5,000 army and police personnel joined the rescue effort operation, saving 125 people Thursday, including 20 foreigners, according to Nepal army spokesperson, Reuters reports.
In the hardest-hit districts, helicopters have been dropping tents, food and other emergency supplies provided by India.
12.00 pm: Four from Andhra Pradesh stranded in Nepal, three missing
Seven people from Andhra Pradesh have been identified so far as missing or stranded following the floods in areas along the Nepal-Tibet route used by Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims, the state government has said. Of the seven, four people have been traced safe but remain stranded, while efforts are continuing to locate three others whose whereabouts are currently unknown.
Minister Nara Lokesh is coordinating with multiple agencies to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing and facilitate evacuation of stranded persons.
11.30 am: NDRF, evacuation teams deployed in UP-Bihar border areas
Hundreds of boats have been deployed in districts along the Indo-Nepal border, 11 evacuation teams are on the ground in Uttar Pradesh and nine NDRF teams are working in Bihar as Indian government departments prepare for a possible emergency after flash floods struck Nepal on Wednesday morning, sources said.
In addition, police chowkis have been set up in low-lying areas of villages to ensure safety and monitoring, sources told ThePrint.
Bihar Minister of Disaster Management Ratnesh Sada told ThePrint that the government had made all preparations. “We are prepared for all flood-like situations. The chief minister has conducted an aerial survey of Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Chapra, Munger and surrounding areas,” he said.
Further, Sada said that water had reached around 1.5 metres in villages along the border, and people have been removed from low-lying areas.
Government sources in Bihar said that at 9:00 a.m on Wednesday, a glacial lake in Tibet burst, causing the Bhote-Koshi River – which originates in Tibet and flows into the Trishuli River in Nepal – to surge by approximately 3 metres.
As a result, an unexpected increase in the flow and water level of the Gandak River downstream is now possible.
River Water Level
Latest Update #गंडकनदी #बाढ़सुरक्षा #जलस्तर #जलसंसाधनविभाग #बाढ़नियंत्रण #FloodManagement #BiharFlood @IPRDBihar pic.twitter.com/CGNkw08YZ5
— Water Resources Department, Government of Bihar (@WRD_Bihar) August 27, 2026
Read Samridhi Tewari’s report.
Bihar & Uttar Pradesh on alert after Nepal flash floods, NDRF teams deployed in border areas
11.10 am: Second tranche of Indian aid takes off for Nepal
India sends second tranche of humanitarian aid to Nepal. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar posted on X that a second flight has taken off with 37.5 tonnes of HADR material, medicines and food packets.
A second flight has just taken off, carrying 37.5 tonnes of HADR material, medicines & food packets for Nepal.
India remains in close and continuous touch with the Nepalese authorities. We will continue to strongly support the ongoing relief efforts.
🇮🇳🇳🇵 pic.twitter.com/0DY7bixT58
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 27, 2026
11.00 am: UP-Bihar border villages on alert
Due to heavy rainwater accumulation along the routes connecting Shivpur, Basantpur and Marchahwa villages in Kushinagar district and Bihar, small streams and drains overflowed, spilling water across the roads. Villagers were seen wading through the waterlogged roads, holding their footwear in their hands, ANI reports.
Due to high water levels, the movement of small vehicles was completely halted, forcing villagers to rely on tractor-trolleys for commuting.
Local administrations in nearby areas have issued warnings via loudspeakers, asking residents to move their belongings and livestock to higher ground amid reports of water release from Nepal.
10.40 am: Over 300 Indians, including Mansarovar pilgrims, missing
More than 300 Indians are missing, according to Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal.
Khanal tells NDTV that the missing India nationals mostly include Mansarovar pilgrims, and that pilgrims take the route in the affected area for the Yatra.
10.30 am: Nearly 1,500 reported missing
Nearly 1,500 people, including at least 800 foreigners, are missing across Nepal and Tibet, authorities have said.
As many as 588 people are reportedly missing in the Tibet autonomous region, according to Chinese media.
According to Xinhua news agency’s report, the mudslide, which occurred on the Nepalese side, struck Gyirong Port in Gyirong County in Tibet Wednesday morning.
President Xi Jinping Wednesday ordered all-out efforts to search for and rescue people missing after devastating flash floods swept through villages and towns near the China-Nepal border area in Tibet, causing heavy casualties.
A directing group of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theatre Command which looks after the India-China border in Tibet was dispatched to the affected area on Thursday to coordinate joint rescue operations by military personnel in mudslide-hit Gyirong County close to the Nepal border.
9.40 am: Rasuwa floods were triggered by a glacial collapse, not an earthquake
Hours after flash floods in the Bhote Koshi river devastated Nepal’s Rasuwa district, authorities said an ice-rock avalanche may have triggered the disaster, according to an initial assessment by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
The NDRRMA shared the first satellite images of the Rasuwa region and the Bhote Koshi river, a tributary of the Trishuli, after the incident. It said an initial study indicated that a glacial-related flood had occurred in the Lhende river following a snow-rock landslide, approximately 20 km north of the Nepal-China Rasuwagadhi crossing.
The Lhende is a tributary of the Bhote Koshi, originating in Tibet’s Gyirong County. It enters Nepal at Rasuwa, where the flooding occurred. The Lhende and Kyirong Tsangpo rivers meet in Rasuwa to form the Trishuli, which flows through central Nepal, including Nuwakot, Gorkha and Chitwan districts, passing close to Kathmandu but not through the capital.
The Trishuli eventually joins the Narayani at Devghat. The Narayani then enters India through Bihar as the Gandak river. Together with the Kosi, another river originating in the Nepal Himalayas, it drains into the Ganga in Bihar.
A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) was initially suspected as the cause of the flooding, given the glacial origins of the Lhende and Nepal’s high exposure to GLOF events. However, scientists from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the NDRRMA now believe the event may have been triggered by an ice-rock avalanche.
Read Akanksha Mishra’s report from the ground.
Nepal’s Rasuwa floods were triggered by a glacial collapse, not an earthquake
9.30 am: What could have caused Nepal floods
In #CutTheClutter Episode 1888, ThePrint Editor-In-Chief looks at the possible cause that could have triggered the flash floods, science & geography. He also explains how the region—both Nepal & Tibet have 46 of the 47 most dangerous glacial lakes.
9.15 am: ‘Indian aid has begun reaching affected areas’
India has sent 10 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Nepal, which was handed over by Ambassador Naveen Srivastava to Nepalese Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Khadak Raj Paudel.
MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh said, “Aid has already begun to reach the affected areas. As I have mentioned, whenever such incidents have occurred, we have always stepped forward proactively because Nepal is a friendly nation and an integral part of us; there is little difference between our societies, and we have always shared a bond akin to that of brothers, an elder and younger sibling relationship, which remains intact today. It is our responsibility to ensure that all necessary aid continues to be provided from our side.”
9.00 am: 130 Indians remain missing
More than 400 foreigners were among 579 tourists missing, according to Nepal tourism officials, after the disaster swept a region thronged by trekkers and pilgrims, while police said they expected the death toll to rise beyond 162, Reuters reports.
Among the missing are approximately 130 to 133 individuals from India, according to MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh.
Additionally, 47 were from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 24 from Canada are also missing, a spokesperson for Nepal’s tourism board told the Associated Press news agency.