Nepal flash flood death toll rises to 538; lake overflow hinders rescue

Updated: 28.8.2026, 12:44 Uhr

Firefighters during a rescue operation after a landslide in Tibet. Photo: cnsphoto

AFP — Two days after the devastating flash flood in the Himalayas, the death toll in Nepal has risen to 538, according to the national disaster management authority announced on Friday. Rescue efforts have made progress, with a total of 117 foreign tourists brought to safety, according to sources from the tourism ministry.

Among those rescued are:

• 85 Indians
• 16 Chinese
• 9 South Koreans
• 2 Italians
• 2 U.S. citizens

According to the Foreign Office, a low double-digit number of German nationals are missing.

Growing Flood Risk

A lake that formed behind masses of mud and debris is beginning to overflow its banks, reported Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. As a result, all rescue teams in the disaster area in the autonomous region of Tibet have been instructed to retreat one kilometer and wait for further instructions.

During the night, China had already warned of a "high risk" of renewed flooding. The lake, formed by the flash flood behind a wall of mud and debris, could grow to a volume of around three million cubic meters in the next three days due to ongoing rain, reported the official news agency Xinhua, citing the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources.

If the lake overflows its banks, the water masses could cause further damage in the disaster area, including at the Chinese-Nepalese border crossing Gyirong and other downstream areas.

The flood warning center in Kathmandu also issued a warning that a lake is growing behind the debris of the flash flood, calling for extreme caution.

Casualties and Missing Persons

Nepalese police have reported at least 469 deaths. Across the border, according to Chinese state media, three deaths have been confirmed so far in the autonomous region of Tibet. On Thursday, Nepalese authorities had spoken of nearly 400 deaths and more than 1,400 missing, including numerous foreigners — both tourists and Hindu pilgrims.

According to the Nepalese tourism authority, the missing include at least eight Germans. The Foreign Office stated on Thursday that German authorities on the ground were still "gathering reliable information on the whereabouts of German nationals."

Rescue Operations Ongoing

The Nepalese army was working on Friday to rescue about 100 people trapped in a tunnel at a dam construction site. The operation, involving two helicopters at the construction site on the Trishuli River, is difficult because even locating the access routes to the tunnel is challenging, said army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet to the AFP news agency.

The office of the Nepalese prime minister stated that an army team, under extremely difficult conditions and great risk, had so far rescued 350 workers and residents trapped in the tunnel.

The Disaster

A massive flash flood of water, mud, and debris raced nearly 170 kilometers along two rivers through Nepal on Wednesday, sweeping away entire villages. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the cause was apparently a glacier break. The autonomous region of Tibet in neighboring China was also affected by the disaster.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday that so far, 499 residents and 555 tourists trapped in the disaster area have been brought to safety.