Nepal’s flood death toll rose to 788 on Sunday, while more than 2,500 people were still reported missing. Rising river levels added to concerns in affected areas as rescue teams worked through mud, debris and difficult weather. Survivors and displaced patients also faced shortages of essential supplies, with damaged roads, bridges and water systems disrupting relief operations.
Search and rescue efforts entered their fifth day after heavy rain and fog temporarily interrupted operations. Helicopters were able to resume flights, while rescue teams continued searching through debris in badly affected districts such as Rasuwa and Nuwakot along the Tibet border.
Authorities urged residents and rescue workers to remain cautious after water levels in the Sunkoshi and Bhote Koshi rivers increased. The Sunkoshi crossed the alert mark in Sindhuli, while the Bhote Koshi in Rasuwa rose sharply around 3 am before beginning to recede. Officials said there was currently no immediate threat of major flooding downstream.
The flash floods, triggered by a glacier collapse, struck on Wednesday, sending huge volumes of rock, ice, mud and debris through mountain river systems and destroying buildings, bridges and power infrastructure across Nepal.
The disaster also caused extensive destruction in Tibet’s Gyirong County, where a border crossing complex was completely wiped out by floodwaters and debris. China, which administers Tibet, said 16 people had died and 546 remained missing. Across Nepal and Tibet, the latest figures indicate that nearly 3,000 people are still unaccounted for.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:
Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitwan are among the worst-hit areas in Nepal. Rescue teams are also operating along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors. Difficult terrain, destroyed roads and bridges, heavy rainfall and mud have made access and search operations particularly challenging.
Nepali authorities warned people and rescue teams to stay alert after the Sunkoshi and Bhote Koshi rivers rose on Sunday morning. In Rasuwa, the Bhote Koshi level increased sharply after about 3 am but later began falling. Rasuwa Chief District Officer Narendra Pariyar said the sudden rise prompted local authorities to issue a warning. The Flood Forecasting Division said there was no immediate danger of major flooding in downstream areas.
Nearly 3,000 people, including more than 275 Indians, remain missing according to the latest official figures. Many of the missing Indians were travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in Tibet when the floods struck. More than 3,700 people, including 108 Indians, have been rescued in Nepal as the search entered its fifth day. Four of the rescued Indians were found at a hydropower project in Rasuwa.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said 128 people of Indian origin were also still uncontactable. The government said 598 Indians had crossed safely from China into Nepal over the previous two days. Around 900 Indians remained in China but were reported to be safe and in contact, the MEA said.
In Rasuwa, an 82-member joint team comprising personnel from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police has been removing mud and debris from hydropower tunnels where workers are believed to be trapped. More than 100 people are thought to be inside a tunnel at the under-construction Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project.
An 11-member Indian team comprising doctors, paramedics and tunnel-rescue specialists arrived in Nepal on Saturday. The team conducted an on-site assessment of hydropower tunnels in the affected areas and examined possible ways to reach people trapped or missing inside them.
India dispatched its fourth relief flight carrying 11 tonnes of assistance to Nepal, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday night. The Indian Air Force C-130 aircraft transported a tunnel technical team, search-and-rescue equipment, forensic specialists and DNA-analysis equipment, along with blankets, sleeping bags, tarpaulins, plastic sheets and hygiene kits.
Jaishankar said 16 trucks carrying components for a 230-foot Single Lane Modular Steel Bridge had reached Nepal. Equipment for seven additional Bailey bridges would be sent soon, with technical teams expected to arrive to oversee their installation. India has so far airlifted 68.5 tonnes of relief supplies to Nepal, including medicines, portable generators, food packets, water-purification tablets and technical equipment.
The floods have severely disrupted aid distribution, leaving displaced people and patients without essential medicines as hospitals deal with shrinking stocks, fuel shortages and sanitation problems. Floodwaters also destroyed canals and pipelines supplying drinking water to nearby communities, forcing residents to depend on potentially contaminated sources and increasing concerns about disease outbreaks.
Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk, said it was prepared to send equipment and provide free connectivity to assist Nepal’s government and humanitarian organisations once it receives approval. The company said satellite communications could help rescue teams coordinate operations, medical workers provide treatment and families stay in touch with missing relatives, particularly after roads, bridges and cellular networks were destroyed.
