Flash floods occur in the border area between Nepal and Tibet, over 1,000 people missing, including tourists from multiple countries

According to NTD Television, citing multiple sources, massive flash floods and mudslides occurred on the morning of August 26 in the border area between northern Nepal and China's Tibet. Currently, the number of missing people disclosed by officials and related media from both China and Nepal has accumulated to more than one thousand, including a large number of tourists from various countries.

According to NTD Television, the Nepalese government preliminarily speculated that the disaster was caused by an avalanche on the Tibetan side of the border that blocked the river. Subsequently, the river water broke through the barrier lake, forming flash floods that destroyed villages, roads, bridges, and hydropower stations along the way.

The report cited Chinese state media as saying that as of the morning of August 27, a total of 558 people had lost contact on the side of Gyirong County, Shigatse City, Tibet, including 260 foreign citizens. Social media videos showed that the Gyirong Port had been submerged by floods.

Meanwhile, Nepalese officials reported that 579 tourists went missing locally, of whom 466 were foreign citizens. These missing persons have been confirmed to be from 28 countries, including the United States, India, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom.

In addition, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that its citizens had gone missing in Nepal. Furthermore, according to information obtained by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 50 Ukrainian citizens also lost contact in the border area between Nepal and Tibet.

What is currently known

• On the morning of August 26, 2026, flash floods and mudslides occurred in the border region between northern Nepal and Tibet.
• The Nepalese government preliminarily speculated that an avalanche on the Tibetan side of the border blocked the river channel, which then burst and triggered the flash floods.
• Officials and related media from both China and Nepal have reported data on missing persons in their respective regions.

Not yet confirmed

• The specific number of casualties and total property damage caused by the floods have not yet been verified by independent third-party institutions.
• The specific survival status of the missing persons and the progress of search and rescue operations have yet to be further disclosed by officials of all parties.

Sources

• NTD Television (NTDTV) — Original Report: Tibet, Nepal deadly flash floods: Over 1,000 missing, including tourists from 28 countries (Video)
• 2026-08-27 00:00 UTC

• This report is synthesized from the coverage by NTD Television (NTDTV) on August 27, 2026.
• The missing persons statistics and causes of the disaster cited in the text are from Chinese state media, Nepalese officials, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (via BBC report), respectively; this outlet cannot independently verify the accuracy of the aforementioned data.

Last updated: 2026-08-27 16:26 UTC