NPR Updates Death Toll, Details in Nepal and Tibet Floods
A significant update to the story of the Nepal and Tibet floods has been made by NPR, with the addition of new details and a revised death toll. The update includes a statement from China's Xinhua News Agency, which reports that mudslides in Tibet caused by a glacial collapse have left three people dead and 558 missing, while police in Nepal reported at least 162 were killed. The update also notes that 260 of the 558 missing people in Tibet were foreigners, and two villagers were rescued. Additionally, the article now mentions that the Lhende Khola river system has flooded twice in just 14 months, highlighting the region's vulnerability to extreme weather. The changes provide more context and information about the disaster, allowing readers to better understand the scope and severity of the floods.
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The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, had maximum flooding, they said.
"The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 months, this time triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream," said Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the climate research group.
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− Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics At least 98 killed and hundreds missing after flash floods in Nepal and China The disaster is linked to climate change, with experts noting the region's vulnerability to extreme weather.
+ Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Nearly 1,000 missing in Nepal and Tibet after flash floods China's Xinhua News Agency said Thursday that mudslides in Tibet caused by a glacial collapse have left three people dead and 558 missing, while police in Nepal reported at least 162 were killed.
− Asia At least 98 killed and hundreds missing after flash floods in Nepal and China Updated August 26, 20261:44 PM ET Originally published August 26, 20268:27 AM ET By
The Associated Press
Rescuers use an earthmover to carry a victim of flash flooding to safety along the Trishuli River in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Wednesday, Aug.
+ Asia Nearly 1,000 are missing in Nepal and Tibet after floods caused by a glacial collapse Updated August 27, 202612:26 AM ET Originally published August 26, 20268:27 AM ET By
The Associated Press
Rescuers carry a victim of flash flooding to safety along the Trishuli River in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Wednesday, Aug.
− Niranjan Shrestha/AP hide caption
UDIN DHUNGA, Nepal — Massive flash floods in a border area of Nepal and China on Wednesday killed at least 98 people and left hundreds of tourists, workers and others missing after sweeping through communities and bringing travel in some areas to a halt.
+ Niranjan Shrestha/AP hide caption
UDIN DHUNGA, Nepal — China's Xinhua News Agency said Thursday that mudslides in Tibet caused by a glacial collapse have left three people dead and 558 missing, while police in Nepal reported at least 162 were killed after massive flash floods in a border area of Nepal and China swept through communities a day earlier.
− The prime minister's office in Nepal reported at least 95 dead.
+ Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that 260 of the 558 missing people in Tibet were foreigners and two villagers were rescued.
− China's state broadcaster CCTV said a mudslide in the Tibet region's Gyirong County near the border killed at least three and left 265 missing.
+ At least three people were killed as of Thursday morning, it said.
The disaster in Nepal and Tibet is not a one-off.
− Drone footage showed roads destroyed and buildings buried.
+ The Lhende Khola river system has now flooded twice in just 14 months and the increasingly unstable Himalayan ice system threatens communities, infrastructure and water supplies across one of the world's most densely populated regions.
The region saw similar flash floods in August last year, when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed because of high temperatures.
− State news agency Xinhua reported significant casualties.
+ Nine people were killed, and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged.
− Nepal's steep valleys are economic lifelines and travel corridors but precarious ones when disaster strikes.
+ Damaged houses and vehicles are seen in the aftermath of flash floods along the Trishuli River in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Wednesday, Aug.
− Images showed what appeared to be the second floors of buildings in hard-hit Nuwakot district slathered in mud after the torrent rushed by.
+ 26, 2026.
− Debris hung from tree branches and wires, vehicles were buried and stunned survivors were caked in mud.
+ Niranjan Shrestha/AP hide caption
Drone footage in Nepal showed roads destroyed and buildings buried by thundering water the color of wet cement.
− Officials in Nepal said 403 people, including 341 foreign nationals, were reported missing.
+ The region's steep valleys are economic lifelines and travel corridors but are precarious when disaster strikes.
− Sunil Sharma, a tourism board spokesperson, said 133 were from India on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus.
+ Images showed what appeared to be the second floors of buildings in Nepal's hard-hit Nuwakot district slathered in mud after the torrent rushed by.
− Also missing were 47 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 24 from Canada, he said.
At least 62 missing Nepali citizens were among hundreds of locals trekking in the Gosaikunda Lake area in Rasuwa, coinciding with the local festival of Janai Purnima on Friday, Sharma added.
+ Debris hung from tree branches and wires, vehicles were buried and some stunned survivors were caked in mud.
− Nepal police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle told The Associated Press at least 28 police officials were missing.
+ The floods halted travel in some areas.
− Officials warned residents in several districts to stay away from the banks of the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers.
+ There was little time for anyone to flee.
"When I reached Dhunge bazaar, in half an hour, the flood came and damaged all the market.
− The Bhotekoshi flooded around 9 a.m.
+ People were preparing to go to office then," resident Shoyam Rajbhandari said.
− Wednesday, destroying several villages, roads and hydropower projects, officials said.
People take photographs and videos of the swollen, debris-choked banks of the Trishuli River after a flash floods in Nepal's Nuwakot district on Wednesday, Aug.
+ "How many people are missing or dead, we don't know."
Officials in Nepal earlier said 403 people, including 341 foreigners, were reported missing.
− 26, 2026.
+ Sunil Sharma, a tourism board spokesperson, said 133 were from India on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus.
− Niranjan Shrestha/AP hide caption
"We have asked both India and China to help us with the rescue efforts," said government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel.
The U.S.
+ Also missing were 47 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 24 from Canada, he said.
− Geological Survey had reported a magnitude 4.4 earthquake early Wednesday, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Kathmandu, near the border with China's autonomous region of Tibet.
+ The State Department said it was aware of Americans affected.
− Though the current monsoon season is less favorable for trekking in Nepal, it's a major season for Kailash trekking in Tibet, which follows the route in Nepal's Rasuwa district bordering Tibet's Gyirong.
+ Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters Thursday at least 34 Australians on pilgrimages and hiking tours were missing.
− South Korean government officials said nine citizens working on building a hydropower plant in Nepal were among those reported missing.
+ "We understand these Australians were part of separate pilgrimage and tour groups," Wong told reporters in Adelaide, Australia.
Rescuers use an earthmover to carry a victim of flash flooding to safety along the Trishuli River in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Wednesday, Aug.
− Malaysia's foreign ministry said its embassy received reports from travel agencies that they had lost contact with 11 Malaysians believed to be in Rasuwa district.
+ 26, 2026.
− Russia'a embassy in Nepal said four citizens reportedly in the affected area were missing.
+ Niranjan Shrestha/AP hide caption
The Nepalese government had not yet requested help but Australia was coordinating with Nepal, the United Nations, the Red Cross and other organizations on a humanitarian response, she said.
− Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah and offered help.
+ Malaysia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday revised upward its number of missing, saying 55 Malaysians in Kathmandu are now unreachable, with severe disruptions to infrastructure hampering efforts to contact them.
− "India is prepared to provide Nepal with all possible types of humanitarian assistance.
+ It said there is no official confirmation of Malaysian casualties and that it was working closely with authorities to ascertain their safety and whereabouts.
The U.S.
− Our teams are closely coordinating on rescue and relief efforts," Modi said on social media.
+ Geological Survey first reported a magnitude 4.4 earthquake early Wednesday, about 66 kilometers (41 miles) north of Kathmandu, near the border. The USGS later updated its analysis to say the seismic event it measured was a magnitude 5.2 glacial collapse that sent debris flowing downstream with catastrophic impact on communities. It said its determination was based on data from nearby seismic stations, long period seismic waves and satellite imagery, and that no earthquake had occurred.
− In a joint statement, Australia, Britain, the European Union, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland expressed solidarity with people in Nepal, adding: "We encourage all those in affected areas to follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories as the situation continues to evolve."
The same region saw flash floods last year
Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said an avalanche from a glacier likely caused Wednesday's flash flood.
+ Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said an avalanche from a glacier likely caused Wednesday's flash flood.
− "Hydrological observations indicate the exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave," they said in an emailed statement, noting that water levels at one point on the Trishuli river rose by as much as nine meters (27 feet) over half an hour.
+ "Hydrological observations indicate the exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave," they said in an emailed statement, noting that water levels at one point on the Trishuli river rose by as much as 9 meters (27 feet) over half an hour.
− He noted the importance of early warnings in "a warming Himalaya."
The region saw similar flash floods in August last year, when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed because of high temperatures. Nine people were killed, and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged.
+ He noted the importance of early warnings in "a warming Himalaya."
The Himalayan mountain range spans several countries in South Asia and has many of the world's highest peaks and remaining glaciers.
− The Himalayan region, which spans several countries including India, is especially vulnerable to heavy rains, floods and landslides because of warming due to human-caused climate change. Research shows that extreme weather events, including heat waves, rains and melting glaciers, have become more frequent.
+ The steep slopes and the lush valleys below the Himalayan mountain range are especially vulnerable to flooding and landslides, and extreme weather events like intense monsoons and melting glaciers have become more common because of warming due to human-caused climate change.
− Researchers in Kathmandu found earlier this year that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are melting at an accelerating rate, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000, primarily due to rising global temperatures and climate change.
+ Researchers in Kathmandu found earlier this year that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are melting faster, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000.
+ The threat from melting glaciers has become a global concern.