Nepal flash floods kill 160, 133 Indian nationals missing

A massive flash flood originating in Tibet swept through central Nepal on Wednesday, unleashing devastation across several towns and villages in the Rasuwa and Dhading districts that border Tibet. According to Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, a powerful earthquake struck the Tibet region at 8:37 am local time, with flash flood warnings issued just three minutes later, suggesting the seismic activity may have triggered a glacial outburst that spawned the deluge.

The torrent surged through the Bhote Koshi River, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority attributing the initial flooding to rockslides and the swelling of the Lhende River along the Nepal-Tibet border. The flood merged with the Trishuli River at Timure, a border town in Rasuwa district, before spreading downstream along the river course and inundating numerous communities.

Nearly 160 people have been confirmed dead in the flooding, while authorities report that over 750 individuals remain missing across the affected areas. Among those unaccounted for are 133 Indian nationals, raising concerns about the scale of casualties in the cross-border disaster.

The deluge has inflicted severe damage on critical infrastructure, washing away bridges and crippling approximately a dozen hydropower projects that supply energy to the region. Emergency response teams continue search and rescue operations as authorities work to assess the full extent of the disaster and restore essential services to affected communities.