The floods swept through communities along the Himalayan border on Wednesday after a glacier collapse triggered a surge of water, mud and debris.
Videos from the affected areas showed torrents of muddy water and debris sweeping through settlements, washing away bridges, vehicles and buildings.
Several hydropower projects and other infrastructure were also damaged.
According to the Associated Press, rescue teams resumed operations in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on Saturday after bad weather temporarily disrupted helicopter operations.
More than 3,700 people have so far been rescued in Nepal, with helicopters evacuating survivors and delivering relief supplies to affected communities.
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| People look at photographs of the missing and dead following flash floods in Nepal, outside a hospital in Kathmandu on August 29, 2026. Rescuers in Nepal and China were still battling August 29 to locate thousands of people missing days after a deadly, tsunami-like wall of water and debris swept through the Himalayan region, engulfing villages. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP) |
Raja Ram Basnet, Nepali army spokesperson, was quoted as saying that rescuers were using ropes and baskets to reach those trapped, but the operation had been hampered by between 1.2 and 1.5 metres of mud and limited helicopter landing areas.
Chinese state media reported that 554 people remained missing on the Chinese side, including foreign nationals who were in the area for work, trekking or on pilgrimage.
Authorities have also warned of the risk of further flooding from a lake formed in the Himalayas after the glacier collapse.
On its Facebook page, where updates are posted, Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority called for support as the rescue operation intensifies.
“Interested philanthropic bodies, development partners, organisations, civil society, private sector, etc, can provide search, rescue and relief materials,” the statement reads.
