Nepal flash floods: Rescue efforts intensify, as deaths climb past 900

Army rangers stand while a helicopter lands as they wait to load relief materials onto it at the Maithili Barrack, an army training center, following flash floods and a mudslide, in Trishuli, Nuwakot district, Nepal, on August 31, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters Authorities were intensifying rescue efforts after catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet killed at least 900 people and left more than 4,700 missing.“We are working in search and rescue of the stranded people from hills, settlements and river areas,” said Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, Nepal’s army spokesman.Nepal flash floods updates on August 31, 2026Multiple foreign teams were also assisting local rescuers to find trapped workers in hydropower tunnels. Officials say at least 90 people are trapped in multiple tunnels of hydropower plants.Nepal’s disaster agency said Monday (August 31, 2026) that 903 deaths had been counted in that country, with 4,247 people, including 592 foreigners, missing. As of Sunday (August 30, 2026), Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing, and Chinese state media said 261 of the missing were foreigners, including over a hundred Nepalis.Wednesday’s (August 19, 2026) flash floods started after a glacial collapse high in the Himalayan region. Scientists who studied satellite images said bedrock underneath a glacier high in the Himalayan region had collapsed, taking part of the glacier with it. The rockfall was so extreme that it registered as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event.The rocks and melted water then swelled the rivers in the valleys below, causing a torrent of water that swept buildings, bridges and earth downstream in Tibet and Nepal.News in Frames: Hope hangs in the skiesA trail of ruin: The remains of homes and other buildings are seen buried under mud and debris in a flood-hit area of Nepal.Clearing the way: Rescue workers and heavy machinery clear mud and debris in a flood-hit area of Nepal, after a devastating flash flood swept through villages in the northern part of the country.Temporary refuge: A woman feeds a child at a relief camp in Nuwakot. Nepal’s disaster authority said 4,451 people had been rescued so far and search operations are still on.Emergency care: Nepali Army doctors treat a woman at a field hospital in Battar, Nuwakot, after she was rescued from the Bhotekoshi flood.Into the field: Nepali Army rescue personnel head towards an airstrip near Nuwakot as teams remain on alert for further flooding after a debris dam burst on August 28.A long wait: Relatives search lists of missing people outside a hospital in Battar, Nuwakot, on August 28; at least 2,426 people remain missing.Rescue under way: A helicopter flies rescue missions in Rasuwa district of Nepal where many people have been stranded.Seeking answers: Relatives give the names of missing family members to officials as the search for survivors continues; among those out of contact are hundreds of foreign nationals.Tears of relief: A woman becomes emotional at a Nepali Army camp in Nuwakot after being rescued, as her injured husband is taken to Kathmandu for treatment. Her family, originally from western Nepal, ran a hotel in Rasuwa.1/3 Published - August 31, 2026 11:32 am IST