Number of missing in Nepal, China floods soars to nearly 3,000

Over the past week, the floods in Nepal and China have claimed the lives of an estimated 2,900 people, with the total number of missing persons nearing 3,000, according to the latest figures released by both nations. The catastrophic event, which occurred on August 26, 2026, left thousands of people missing and destroyed numerous villages in the Himalayan region.

In Nepal, the disaster authority added 933 hydropower workers to the list of missing, joining trekkers and pilgrims to Mount Kailash. Buddhi Ram Dangol, a survivor, described the devastation as complete, stating, "All the settlements near the river were swept away. There is nothing left." Samjhana Thing also expressed her anxiety, waiting for news of her missing brother for three days.

The Red Cross estimates that up to 93,000 people may have been affected by the disaster, with the death toll anticipated to rise. Emergency teams faced the challenge of retrieving survivors from the affected zones, where food and water supplies were quickly dwindling. A growing concern was the formation of huge lakes due to the deluge of ice and mud, which posed a threat to rescue operations.

Nepali police warned rescuers to move to safe locations, as they received reports of a dam bursting on the Tibetan side. Chinese authorities suspended their rescue operation in the hardest-hit area of Gyirong due to the risk of renewed flooding, but later reported that the threat had eased. Two villagers were rescued in the area, while seven people died and 554 remained missing in Tibet.

Indian authorities recovered seven bodies from rivers originating in Nepal, believed to be flood victims. The pilgrimage route, which included scores of Hindu devotees from around the world, also suffered losses as many were traveling to Mount Kailash.