On August 26, a catastrophic flash flood triggered by a high-altitude glacial collapse along the Nepal-Tibet border decimated the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors. The disaster heavily impacted multiple regions, completely devastating the Trishuli River basin and Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot district with extreme torrents and sudden landslides.
Those rescued are constantly scanning the skies for helicopters, hoping they are bringing back family members who remain stranded in villages upstream.
As floodwaters from the Bhotekoshi flowed into the Trishuli River, the sudden surge triggered landslides and widespread destruction downstream in Bidur Municipality and across Nuwakot district.
The Nepal Army and Armed Police Force are trying to clear a blocked tunnel at a hydropower project in Rasuwa district, hoping to find people who may be trapped inside.
Photo:
Prabhat Khanal
A trail of ruin: The remains of homes and other buildings are seen buried under mud and debris in a flood-hit area of Nepal.
Photo:
Prabhat Khanal
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.
Photo:
Prabhat Khannal
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.
Photo:
Prabhat Khanal
Emergency care: Nepali Army doctors treat a woman at a field hospital in Battar, Nuwakot, after she was rescued from the Bhotekoshi flood.
Photo:
Prabhat Khanal
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.
Photo:
Prabhat Khanal
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.
Photo:
Prabhat Khanal
Rescue under way: A helicopter flies rescue missions in Rasuwa district of Nepal where many people have been stranded.
Photo:
Prabhat Khanal
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.
Photo:
Prabhat Khanal
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.
Published – August 30, 2026 11:41 am IST
