Nepal-China border floods death toll exceeds 1,300

Glacier collapse triggers devastation

The death toll from flash floods and mudslides along the Nepal-China border rose above 1,300 on Friday, according to official data from both countries, nine days after a glacier fracture on Mount Langtang Lirung triggered massive debris flows through the Himalayan region. The glacier fractured at an altitude of about 5,200 meters on Aug. 26, developing into an ice-rock avalanche that swept through valleys along the frontier.

Floodwaters and mudslides devastated Nepal's Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Kavre districts as well as the Kathmandu Valley, while also burying the Gyirong border crossing in China's southwestern Xizang Autonomous Region. The disaster has left thousands displaced and damaged critical infrastructure across both sides of the border.

Cross-border casualty figures

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 1,287 people were killed on the Nepalese side of the border, while 5,083 others remained missing. Of those missing in Nepal, 583 are foreigners, according to the agency's latest data released following the rescue of two people from the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project.

Chinese authorities reported at least 21 people were killed in the Xizang Autonomous Region, also known as Tibet, while 541 others remained missing. The combined death toll reached 1,308, with 5,624 people still unaccounted for across both nations, including 844 foreigners.

Infrastructure damage and rescue efforts

At least six hydropower projects have been damaged by the flash floods on the Nepalese side of the border, with search operations continuing for approximately 900 personnel deployed at the facilities. The Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project saw successful rescue operations on Friday, with authorities extracting two people from the facility.

The full extent of damage to energy infrastructure remains under assessment as rescue priorities focus on locating missing workers and clearing debris from the Gyirong border crossing. Floodwaters buried the strategic crossing point in Xizang, disrupting connectivity between the two nations.

Ongoing search operations

Search and rescue operations entered their ninth day on Friday across the affected Himalayan region, with teams working to locate the 5,624 people still reported missing. Rescue teams continued operations across Nepal's Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Kavre districts as well as the Kathmandu Valley, where floodwaters devastated communities following the Aug. 26 glacier collapse.