Catastrophic flash floods and mudslides triggered along the Tibet-Nepal border have caused unprecedented destruction across northern and central Nepal. The sudden surge of water, sediment, and massive boulders swept through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors, devastating several communities, critical infrastructure, and power projects. The death toll from the calamity has escalated rapidly to 579, while nearly 2,000 individuals remain missing. Emergency teams are working against severe weather conditions and difficult terrain to reach isolated settlements and extract workers trapped under debris and inside submerged tunnels.
Over 15,000 Personnel Deployed for Search and Rescue
Addressing the nation, Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah assured that state agencies are deploying every available resource to rescue survivors and assist impacted families. A joint task force comprising over 15,431 security personnel has been mobilized across the devastated zones, including the Rasuwa district and the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli corridor. The rescue fleet includes 6,755 personnel from the Nepali Army, 4,473 from the Nepal Police, and 4,203 from the Armed Police Force Nepal.
So far, rescue teams have brought 4,451 people to safety. Among them, 191 workers were safely extracted from flooded hydropower tunnels, while 517 individuals were evacuated through high-risk air operations. A fleet of 16 helicopters from the Nepali Army and private operators has conducted nearly 100 shuttle flights to airlift stranded victims from remote locations like Dhunche, Trishuli, Timure, and Syabrubesi to medical facilities.
Nearly 2,000 People Unaccounted For Across Impacted Regions
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), the list of 1,924 missing individuals includes local residents, hydropower plant employees, security personnel, government officials, and foreign nationals. Trapped personnel at major hydroelectric facilities—including the Upper Trishuli Hydropower Project and Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Station—remain a primary focus for specialized extraction units.
The missing count includes 933 workers associated with various energy projects, 517 foreign nationals, and dozens of security and border officials from customs and immigration offices. Rasuwa district reported 161 missing persons, while dozens more remain untraceable in neighbouring districts like Makwanpur and Nuwakot.
Evacuation and Welfare of Foreign Nationals
Authorities have successfully rescued and identified 129 foreign nationals who were stranded in tourist and transit zones. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs established a round-the-clock Emergency Control Room to liaise with foreign embassies and assist anxious relatives abroad.
The Indian government has also been actively coordinating with local officials to locate and evacuate its citizens. While several dozen Indian workers at the Trishuli One hydropower project and tourists were evacuated safely to Delhi and Kathmandu, officials continue to reconcile reports regarding untraceable citizens and pilgrims stranded on both sides of the Nepal-China border due to massive landslips.
Infrastructure Restoration and Regional Cooperation
Relief teams are working continuously to restore essential services and transport networks. Alternate routes connecting Rasuwa to Kathmandu have been opened for light vehicles, while main arterial highways like the Kathmandu-Mugling road are functioning with single-lane access. Telecommunication providers have successfully reactivated 145 out of 198 damaged mobile towers, restoring basic network connectivity to large parts of Nuwakot and surrounding areas.
India has dispatched multiple IAF transport aircraft delivering over 47 tonnes of essential relief supplies, including heavy-duty dewatering pumps, temporary shelters, medicines, solar lights, and emergency food kits. Additionally, specialized tunnel rescue experts and medical teams from India have arrived in Kathmandu to support ground operations.
