Floods in Tibet and Nepal Kill at Least 95, Hundreds Missing Including 341 Foreigners

Kathmandu, Nepal — Torrential rains and swollen rivers unleashed massive floods and landslides across the Tibet-Nepal border region on Wednesday, sweeping away entire villages and destroying critical roads and bridges, according to officials and state media. The death toll has climbed to at least 95, with hundreds more reported missing, including 341 foreign nationals.

The disaster began around 9:00 a.m. local time in Nepal’s border area and quickly spilled into Tibet’s Gyirong county, Chinese state media reported. A border checkpoint was obliterated in seconds, as captured by horrified onlookers, marking the first known destruction of the day.

Death Toll and Missing Persons

Nepalese officials confirmed 72 fatalities, while Chinese state media reported significant casualties and missing persons in Tibet. Hundreds of tourists, workers, and police remain unaccounted for, with the missing including 341 foreigners from 26 countries—among them citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, India, Australia, and the Netherlands.

The affected region is a popular destination for hikers, mountain climbers, and religious pilgrims. The destroyed checkpoint was part of the route many travelers use from Nepal to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus and Buddhists.

Landslides and Bridge Collapses

According to Nepal’s tourism ministry and tour operators, many of the missing were traveling by bus when landslides slammed into roads and bridges. Debris from shattered bridges was swept downstream, striking other bridges and creating a cascade of destruction that compounded the damage.

The flooding reached Gyirong Port, Tibet’s primary trade gateway to Nepal, which is vital to China’s trade route. Chinese state media reported “major casualties and missing persons” at the port.

Rescue Operations and International Response

Chinese leader Xi Jinping ordered local officials to “spare no effort” in search and rescue operations, dispatching paramilitary law enforcement units to support disaster relief. The Chinese embassy in Nepal activated its emergency response procedures and requested Nepal’s assistance, while Nepalese officials sought help from neighboring India.

Rescue efforts face severe obstacles: hundreds of homes have been swept away, roads and bridges are destroyed, and power and communication lines are down across a wide area. Even air operations are disrupted—Nepalese officials said river levels are too high for helicopters to land in the affected zone.

Impact on Infrastructure

Nepal’s energy ministry reported that more than 12% of the country’s hydropower capacity was offline Wednesday morning. South Korea’s foreign ministry confirmed that eight of its citizens who worked at a Nepalese hydropower plant are among the missing, and Seoul said it would send a rapid response team as soon as possible.

The worst flooding occurred around the Bhote Koshi river, which also caused severe damage last year, killing nine people and destroying a key “friendship bridge” on the China-Nepal trade route—a grim reminder of the region’s vulnerability to such disasters.

As the search for the missing continues, the scale of the destruction underscores the challenges faced by rescue teams in a remote, mountainous area now cut off by nature’s fury.

Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2026/08/26/at-least-95-dead-from-massive-floods-in-tibet-and-nepal-hundreds-missing/