Nepal-China Flood Death Toll Passes 1,280 as Thousands Remain Missing
Satellite image of the flood-affected area in northern Nepal, captured by the US Landsat-9 mission on 26 August 2026, roughly two hours after the glacier collapse. Contains Landsat-9 data, processed by ESA, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More than 1,280 people are confirmed dead and over 5,600 remain missing after a glacier collapse triggered catastrophic flooding across northern Nepal and neighbouring Tibet in late August.
The confirmed death toll from the catastrophic flooding that struck northern Nepal and parts of Tibet in late August has passed 1,280, with more than 5,600 people — including at least 550 foreign nationals — still listed as missing. In Nepal alone, 1,252 bodies have been recovered; Chinese authorities have confirmed 21 deaths and 541 people missing on the Tibetan side of the border.
The disaster was triggered by the collapse of a glacier near the Langtang Lirung peak in the Himalayas on August 26, which sent a cascade of rock, mud and water down the mountainside. The flood devastated villages, roads, bridges and hydropower facilities, with Nepal's Rasuwa district the worst affected.
Rescue operations are still underway more than a week later. Hundreds of workers remain trapped in hydropower facilities and tunnels, and crews are using helicopters and zip lines to reach villages cut off by the destruction, while army engineering units work to clear debris blocking tunnel entrances. In Kathmandu, forensic teams are working to identify recovered bodies through DNA testing, tattoos and jewellery.
"Every day I come here hoping to find my father. But every day at sunset I feel my hope fades away," said Pratik Rana, whose father, an engineer, remains among the missing.
Officials estimate roughly 20,000 houses will need to be rebuilt, including 7,500 that were destroyed outright, and more than 3,400 displaced people are currently living across 27 temporary sites. An estimated 2.2 million tonnes of debris remain to be cleared from the affected region.