Nepal-Tibet flood LIVE: 320 Indians untraceable, nearly 2,500 missing; Kathmandu asks India, China for bailey bridges
Nepal-Tibet flood LIVE: Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah said more than 15,000 personnel had been mobilised for rescue operations. The floods have also left 320 Indians uncontactable in Nepal, while around 400 Indians stranded in Tibet have been traced and are safe, the MEA said.
Nepal-Tibet flash floods: Nepal has requested India and China to provide Bailey bridges to help restore connectivity after devastating floods damaged roads and bridges in the Himalayan region, the country’s foreign minister said, as per Reuters....Read More
At least 586 people have died and 2,478 remain missing after devastating floods swept through the mountainous region along the Nepal-China border on Wednesday. Search and rescue operations continue amid fears of further flooding.
Nepal reported 579 deaths and 1,924 people are still unaccounted for. China’s death toll rose to seven, with 554 people missing, according to state media.
The floods have also left 320 Indians uncontactable in Nepal, while around 400 Indians stranded in Tibet have been traced and are safe, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. Another 100 people of Indian origin, holding other nationalities, are also uncontactable.
India steps up rescue efforts
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 153 Indians stranded in Tibet have crossed safely into Nepal, while 21 Indians reached New Delhi on Friday after being rescued from flood-hit areas.
India has sent 57.5 tonnes of emergency supplies in three military aircraft since Wednesday. The assistance includes relief material, while an 11-member team of doctors and paramedics and a reconnaissance team have also been deployed.
India has offered Nepal Bailey bridges and technical teams to restore connectivity, as well as NDRF teams and equipment for search and rescue operations.
15,000 personnel deployed
Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah said more than 15,000 personnel had been mobilised for rescue operations. He denied reports that Nepal had rejected foreign assistance, saying the government was coordinating with India, China and other countries.
Rescuers are still searching for people trapped in tunnels and hydropower projects, while efforts are under way to repair damaged bridges and reopen roads.
The disaster has severely affected the hydropower sector, with eight projects reported damaged or disrupted. At the Trishuli-1 hydropower project, emergency teams airlifted more than 300 trapped survivors.
New lake raises fresh flood fears
Rescue operations have been complicated by unstable terrain and the formation of a large lake near the Rasuwagadhi border crossing after the Lhende River was blocked by debris.
China's ministry of water resources said the barrier lake had accumulated around 2 million cubic metres of water by Thursday morning and could gain another 3 million cubic metres within three days.
What caused the Nepal floods?
Seismic and satellite assessments indicate that the initial disaster was triggered by the collapse of a glacier and underlying rock, generating a 5.2-magnitude seismic event. The resulting surge of water, ice, rock and mud swept through settlements, destroying roads, bridges and homes.
Nepal's Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers remain under close watch as authorities warn of further flooding.
Nepal's finance minister Swarnim Wagle said the country could need at least a few billion dollars for reconstruction as roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure have been destroyed.
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- 29 Aug 2026, 08:46:55 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: 12 people from Assam untraceable, says CM Himanta Sarma
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said 12 people from Assam remain untraced in Nepal following the devastating flash floods.
“Till now we have been able to establish details of 12 people from Assam who are yet to be traced in Nepal. Efforts are underway to establish connection with them and safely rescue them,” Sarma said.
The 12 people are from Karbi Anglong, Golaghat, Hojai, Kamrup Metropolitan and Nalbari.
- 29 Aug 2026, 08:31:32 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Retired Tamil Nadu nurse missing
Nepal flood LIVE updates: A retired nurse from Tiruchirappalli has been missing since the devastating flash floods in Nepal, her family friend said.
Kanaga Sundarambal, who worked at a government hospital, had travelled to Nepal on a spiritual tour. Her family has been unable to contact her since the floods, with her phone switched off or disconnected.
“Following the accident that took place in Nepal two days ago, we tried to contact her over the phone, but we have been unable to reach her as her phone appears to be switched off or disconnected,” family friend Aruljothi told ANI.
The family is awaiting information about her whereabouts and praying for her safe return.
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- 29 Aug 2026, 08:23:16 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: DK Shivakumar speaks to Kannadigas stranded in Nepal
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar spoke to Kannadigas stranded in Nepal and assured them of safe passage home. He also directed officials to arrange accommodation in Delhi for those returning before they travel onward to Bengaluru.
- 29 Aug 2026, 08:04:19 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: ‘No need’ for foreign search teams, says minister
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Nepal is seeking foreign technical assistance for tunnel rescues, restoring transport and communication links, identifying bodies, DNA testing and storing bodies, but does not need foreign teams for general search and rescue, foreign minister Shisir Khanal told Reuters.
“We have already made requests for such specialised services and technical assistance in areas where we don't have enough expertise and technical knowhow,” Khanal said.
Nepal has also asked India and China for bailey bridges after about two dozen bridges were destroyed in the floods. Khanal said Nepali rescuers were capable of handling general search and rescue operations.
“We think there is no need for repetition in this,” he said.
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- 29 Aug 2026, 08:00:37 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: India sends 11-member medical, tunnel rescue team to Kathmandu
Nepal flood LIVE updates: India’s third relief flight has reached Kathmandu, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Friday. The latest consignment includes emergency relief supplies and an 11-member medical and tunnel rescue team, which is now on the ground to assist Nepal’s flood response.
HT's Shishir Gupta has accessed details of the aid, funds and other assistance being mobilised for disaster-hit Nepal. Read the copy here.
- 29 Aug 2026, 07:50:12 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Foreign help sought for tunnel rescue, body identification, storage
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Nepal needs foreign technical assistance for tunnel rescues, transporting bodies, and identifying and storing the dead following the devastating floods along its border with China, the country’s foreign minister said, as per Reuters.
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- 29 Aug 2026, 07:48:01 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: What is a bailey bridge?
Nepal flood LIVE updates: A Bailey bridge is a temporary, prefabricated bridge made mainly of steel panels that can be assembled quickly at the site.
It is especially useful after floods, earthquakes or landslides when permanent bridges have been washed away or damaged.
In Nepal’s case, bailey bridges can help quickly restore road connectivity by allowing vehicles, rescue teams and relief supplies to cross rivers or damaged sections.
- 29 Aug 2026, 07:46:44 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Nepal turns to India, China for Bailey bridges
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Nepal has requested India and China to provide Bailey bridges to help restore connectivity after devastating floods damaged roads and bridges in the Himalayan region, Nepal’s foreign minister said, as per Reuters.
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- 29 Aug 2026, 07:41:35 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Nepal says no need for foreign search teams, seeks technical help after floods
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Nepal’s foreign minister has said the country needs foreign assistance in specialised and technical areas following this week’s devastating floods along its border with China, but does not require overseas search-and-rescue teams.
The minister told Reuters that Nepal’s priority was support in areas where it lacks technical expertise.
- 29 Aug 2026, 07:33:21 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Visuals of the aftermath
People salvage usable materials from their houses deluged in sludge following flash floods at Devighat in Nepal�s Nuwakot district on August 28, 2026. More than 1,400 people are missing and at least 552 have been killed after a devastating, tsunami-like wall of water gouged a path through the border region between Nepal and Tibet, sweeping away entire villages. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) (AFP) - {{^htLoading}}
- 29 Aug 2026, 07:17:27 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: 404 Maharashtra tourists stranded but safe; 60 still untraceable
Nepal flood LIVE updates: At least 404 people from Maharashtra stranded in Nepal have been confirmed safe, while 60 tourists remain untraceable, a state government official said.
Of the 404, 105 have returned to India, while authorities have contacted the remaining 299, who are safe but stranded in different parts of Nepal.
Meanwhile, 37 Maharashtra pilgrims stranded in Tibet after the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra left for Kathmandu on Friday and are expected to fly back to India on August 29. (ANI)
- 29 Aug 2026, 06:48:33 AM IST
Nepal flood LIVE updates: Vizag pilgrims recount Nepal flood horror
Nepal flood LIVE updates: At least 28 pilgrims from Visakhapatnam were safely rescued after narrowly escaping the devastating flash floods in Nepal.
Pilgrim Gada Elaveni said their group stopped for tea during a journey from Kathmandu, only to learn that two buses ahead of them had been swept away, ANI reported.
“We never imagined it would happen to us... We didn't get the darshan, but God brought us home safely. We were travelling in three buses, and all of us are safe,” Elaveni told ANI.
DLDA Chairman Gadu Venkatappa said delays over visas and flights meant the group left Kathmandu later than planned, keeping them away from the flood-hit area when the disaster struck.
“If we had left at 3.00 AM, we would have been right near the Chinese Embassy at the exact time the flash floods hit... We truly believe missing that early start saved us from disaster,” he said.
His brother Garudappa Naidu said another delay helped them escape a landslide near the China border after a driver warned their bus of the danger.
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