Nepal-Tibet flood death toll crosses 1,400, 5,000 missing

At least 1,386 people have died and 5,130 remain missing after catastrophic flash floods swept the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, Nepal's disaster agency says. China reports 43 dead and 519 missing. The flood, triggered by a glacial collapse, destroyed bridges, swept away entire settlements, and crippled water monitoring stations along the Bhote Koshi river, leaving authorities unable to track the wave that travelled at an estimated 188 km per hour.

India has sent 60 tonnes of relief material and a specialised tunnel rescue team. Nepal has formally requested bailey bridges from India and China and has sought international help for DNA testing and dead body storage. Rescue teams working to reach six trapped workers at the Chilime hydropower project cleared over 100 metres of debris but a boulder is blocking entry to the underground power house. Nepal continues to monitor two barrier lakes upstream, where flood risks will persist until they fully drain.