URGENT PRAYER NEED
Catastrophic Flash Floods Devastate Nepal
What happened
A glacier collapse high in the Himalayas sent a wall of water, rock and debris down the valleys of northern Nepal on 26 August 2026. More than 350 people have been confirmed killed and more than 800 remain missing, including hundreds of foreign visitors.
Shortly after 8:30 in the morning on 26 August 2026, part of a glacier gave way high on the Nepal–Tibet border, above the Bhote Koshi river. The ice and rock fell thousands of metres into the valley below and became a fast-moving surge of water, mud and boulders that swept down through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems.
The wave reached settlements in Rasuwa district first, including Timure and Syapru Besi near the border crossing, before moving downstream into Nuwakot and Dhading. The United States Geological Survey reported that the seismic signal recorded at the time was consistent with a glacier collapse rather than an earthquake.
Whole sections of road and river bank were carried away. Nepali authorities have reported bridges destroyed, hydropower facilities damaged, schools lost and hundreds of vehicles swept away, along with the customs post at the Rasuwagadhi border crossing.
The area is a well-travelled trekking and pilgrimage route, and a large number of those unaccounted for are visitors from other countries. Across the border in Tibet, Chinese authorities have reported at least three deaths and more than 550 people missing in Gyirong County.
People affected
- Lives lost
- 350
- Missing
- 800
- Displaced
- 1,200
Current situation
Search and rescue is continuing. Nepali authorities have deployed thousands of army and police personnel, and helicopters are being used to reach communities cut off by destroyed roads and bridges. Hundreds of people have been rescued so far.
A lake has formed behind debris left by the collapse, and authorities on both sides of the border are monitoring it because a sudden release would send more water downstream. Communities below remain on alert.
Relief supplies are reaching the worst-affected districts, and several governments and humanitarian organisations have offered assistance. These figures are provisional: casualty and missing-person counts have changed repeatedly as access improves, and are expected to change further.
Pray for
- For families grieving the more than 350 people confirmed killed
- For the hundreds still missing, and for families waiting for news
- For survivors who are injured, and for those treating them
- For families whose homes and livelihoods were swept away
- For rescue teams and medical staff working in dangerous terrain
- For communities still cut off, and for visitors far from home
- For safety from further flooding if the debris lake gives way
Last updated
0 people have pledged to pray