At least 157 people have lost their lives in devastating flash floods that struck Nepal’s Bhotekoshi River on Wednesday, with nearly 400 individuals still missing. Among those unaccounted for are foreign nationals and security personnel, underscoring the scale of the disaster.

The mid-morning flood swept through three districts, destroying homes, vehicles and critical infrastructure, making it one of Nepal’s deadliest calamities in recent years.

The catastrophe was triggered when an avalanche blocked the flow of the Lhende tributary of the Bhotekoshi River. The blockage burst near Timure, close to Nepal’s border with China at Rasuwagadhi, sending a surge of water downstream towards Syaphrubesi and other settlements. With no rainfall reported in the area, residents had no warning before the flood struck, leaving them vulnerable to its sudden force.

Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that hundreds remain missing, including 391 foreigners and 44 security personnel. The floods caused extensive damage to infrastructure, destroying nine hydropower projects and nine branches of commercial banks. Nineteen motorable bridges and approximately 40 kilometres of highway were swept away, according to preliminary assessments.

India has mobilised humanitarian assistance to support Nepal. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced that India’s humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, along with medical aid, had reached Kathmandu.

A C130J aircraft deployed by the Indian Air Force carried 10 tonnes of relief material, including temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines. More assistance is being prepared to bolster relief operations.

Officials at Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology suggested that an ice avalanche and the subsequent formation and bursting of a debris lake may have triggered the sudden flood.

Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) stated that satellite imagery analysis by Planet Labs indicated a glacier-inclusive flood in the Lhende River, caused by a snow-rock landslide approximately 20 kilometres northeast of the Nepal-China Rasuwagadhi border crossing.

Shanti Mahat, spokesperson for NDRRMA, said preliminary information from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) suggested that an ice avalanche had blocked the river. 

The information was shared by sources in China, but Mahat emphasised that no official confirmation has yet been received. Rescue and relief efforts remain the immediate priority, with the exact cause expected to become clearer over time.

The sheer scale of those missing has raised fears that this disaster could rank among the deadliest in Nepal’s modern history. The destruction of hydropower projects, bridges and highways has further compounded the crisis, leaving communities isolated and rescue operations severely challenged. Relief teams continue to battle difficult terrain and disrupted infrastructure to reach survivors and provide aid.

This tragedy highlights the vulnerability of Himalayan regions to sudden glacial and avalanche-related floods, a phenomenon that has become increasingly frequent due to climate change and unstable mountain ecosystems.

The incident has also underscored the importance of regional cooperation in disaster response, with India’s rapid mobilisation of humanitarian assistance serving as a critical lifeline for Nepal.

ANI