Rescue teams on both sides of the Himalayas are racing against time after a sudden wall of water and mud tore through the Nepal–Tibet border region, leaving at least 95 people dead and hundreds unaccounted for — including two Irish nationals.
The flash flood sent a torrent of debris surging out of a river channel between China and Nepal, swallowing buildings and prompting an urgent search for survivors in hard-hit communities.
Two Irish nationals and 12 UK citizens, including a 13-year-old girl, are missing following a flash flood in the Rasuwa region of Nepal, the tour operator leading the excursion has said.
Alpine Eco Trek, which offers guided tours and expeditions in Nepal, confirmed to PA that two Irish nationals on its tour across the Nepal-Tibet border were missing.
The country’s tourism board has confirmed they are among the 384 people missing in total.
Ram Kumar Adhikari, the manager of Alpine Eco Trek said four South African nationals who were also on the excursion are believed to be missing.
The age of the missing British citizens ranges from 13 to 65, according to travel logs shared with PA.
The firm, which also leads tour groups up Mount Everest, confirmed four of its Nepalese tour guides – aged 38, 35, 45, and 29 – are missing as well.
The Nepal Tourism Board said its staff and tourist police are “working to verify the whereabouts and safety status of tourists and travellers who were in or travelling through the affected areas”.
A preliminary check found 291 foreign nationals had been reported missing in the affected areas, with more than 100 still to have their nationality confirmed.
On the Chinese side, state media reported “major casualties” after a mudslide hit a Tibet trade hub near the border, and President Xi Jinping ordered an “all-out” rescue operation.
“I got a call from (my brother-in-law) this morning, and they were crying and said their entire house had been swept away. Three family members were rescued, but his brother is still missing,” said 56-year-old Raju Bhadel.
Police in Nepal reported the death toll hit at least 95.
More than 380 tourists – 291 of them foreigners – were unaccounted for over eight hours after the disaster struck.
Nepal’s tourism board, which released the figure, said Americans, Indians, an Australian, Malaysians and Britons were among those unaccounted for.
भोटेकोसी नदी रसुवामा तिब्बत तर्फबाट ठुलो बाढी प्रवेश गरेकोले अर्को सूचना नआउँदासम्म त्रीशुली नदीको तटिय क्षेत्रका जिल्लाहरु नुवाकोट, धादिङ, चितवन, गोरखा लगायतका स्थानहरूमा उच्च सतर्कता सहित सुरक्षित स्थानमा रहन अनुरोध छ। pic.twitter.com/Zun6icZZCM
— Nepal Police (@NepalPoliceHQ) August 26, 2026
Photographs released by Nepali police showed floodwater ripping through a river corridor and tearing houses from their foundations. Separate AFP images captured scenes of devastation, including the top floor of a home protruding from thick, mud-choked ground.
A police spokesman told AFP earlier that authorities did not know the extent of the damage but said they had “alerted people who are staying near the riverside to relocate”.
Houses lie partially submerged in muddy water along a riverside after flash floods at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal’s Nuwakot
The Nepal Army said it had deployed helicopters and disaster response personnel to the affected area.
The Nepal Electricity Authority said about 430 megawatts of production capacity, including from hydropower and solar facilities, has been damaged.
“The disaster has damaged the production, transmission and distribution facilities of the Authority… resulting in disruption of electricity supply,” it said.
A mudslide struck near Gyirong Port in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on Wednesday, with people feared missing, local authorities said. #mudslide pic.twitter.com/BOCyQFUfu7
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) August 26, 2026
Sarthak Shrestha, a remote sensing and geo information analyst at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), said a preliminary assessment showed “no anomalies” from China’s side of the border.
“We believe a rock-ice avalanche occurred in Nepal, blocking the Lhende river and causing the cascading flood event,” he told AFP.
Mudslide risk
Several highways were also closed, Nepali authorities said.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that “a mudslide disaster on the Nepalese side resulted in major casualties and missing people at the Gyirong Port” in Tibet.
Footage shared by the broadcaster, which AFP was unable to immediately verify, showed rushing water carrying tree branches and debris, as well as a flooded road.
Houses lie partially submerged in muddy water along a riverside
China’s leader said that “the most urgent task is doing everything possible to search for and rescue the missing people… quickly treat injured people and minimise casualties to the greatest extent possible”, according to CCTV.
Traffic authorities in Tibet’s Shigatse said roads in the area were “at risk of mudslides and unsafe for passage” in a post to social media.
In July last year, 17 people went missing after a mudslide near the Gyirong Port, Xinhua reported at the time.
Monsoon rains from June to September regularly trigger deadly floods and landslides across South Asia.
Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the region.
Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at ICIMOD, said a second flood may be imminent.
“With a blockage still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river, authorities warn a second flood may occur,” he said.
Additional reporting: AFP and Reuters
