At least 162 people were killed in Nepal and three others in Tibet after massive flash floods swept through border communities on Wednesday, August 26th, 2026. The floods were caused by a glacial collapse that triggered mudslides and an ice rock avalanche, blocking the Lhende Khola river and releasing a sudden surge downstream.

China’s state media reported that up to 1,000 people remain missing in Nepal and Tibet due to the disaster. Specifically, China's Xinhua News Agency said mudslides in Tibet caused by the glacial collapse left three dead and 558 missing. State broadcaster CCTV reported that about 260 of the missing in Tibet were foreigners, with two villagers rescued.

Officials in Nepal earlier reported 403 people missing, including 341 foreigners. Among the missing were 133 Indian pilgrims visiting Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred Hindu site, according to tourism board spokesperson Sunil Sharma. Other missing foreigners included 47 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain, and 24 from Canada. Additionally, 55 Malaysians in Kathmandu are currently unreachable due to infrastructural delays, as reported by Malaysia's Foreign Ministry.

The Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 4.4 earthquake early Wednesday about 66 kilometers north of Kathmandu near the Nepal-China border. Hydrological observations noted the exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave, with water levels on the Trishuli river rising by as much as 9 meters within half an hour.

Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at a climate research group, stated, “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.” The increasingly unstable Himalayan ice system poses ongoing threats to communities, infrastructure, and water supplies in one of the world’s most densely populated regions.

Similar flash floods occurred in August 2025 when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed due to high temperatures.

Sources