Rescue teams free 117 tourists as Nepal floods claim over 500 lives
The Nepal Tourism Board says 117 tourists, including 85 Indians, have been rescued after flash floods devastated central Nepal, where the death toll exceeds 500.
Flash floods that struck central Nepal on Wednesday have killed at least 538 people and left almost 1,000 missing, according to officials. The Nepal Tourism Board announced that 117 tourists have been rescued, including 85 Indians, 16 Chinese, nine South Koreans, two Americans, two Italians and three whose nationalities are pending confirmation. Nepal Police reported that 1,545 injured and stranded persons have been rescued so far, and a total of 7,451 security personnel are engaged in search-and-rescue missions.
Helicopters are being used to reach isolated zones, while ground teams scour riverbanks and downstream settlements; 84 rescued individuals are receiving treatment in Kathmandu hospitals. Authorities warned of a possible second flood wave from a newly formed barrier lake near the Nepal-Tibet border, urging residents in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli areas to stay alert and relocate if necessary.
Why it matters
The disaster highlights severe flood risks in the Himalayas and the need for coordinated rescue and warning systems.
How this story developed
- Aug 26 Flash flood devastates Himalayan villages, killing at least eight in Nepal and sparking cross-border rescue efforts
- Aug 26 Three American citizens have been confirmed missing in the flood’s aftermath.
- Aug 26 Australian officials began confirming the status of Australians reported missing in the floods.
- Aug 27 A sudden glacial-lake outburst flood in the Nepal-Tibet border region has killed over 270 people and left more than 1,500 missing, including hundreds of foreign tourists.
- Aug 27 Death toll rises to at least 157 in Nepal and three in Tibet, with 826 people missing in Nepal and 558 missing in Tibet.
- Aug 27 The United Nations pledged $2 million for relief efforts.
- Aug 27 The US Department of State said 90 Americans were unaccounted for in China and Nepal and it was not aware of any US deaths.
- Aug 28 Families of 39 Australians still missing after deadly floods in Nepal and Tibet are pleading for any information as a communications blackout hampers contact.
- Aug 28 Authorities warned that the debris‑clogged river and rising water in a blocked lake could cause additional flooding downstream.
- Aug 28 Rescue operations were halted for roughly one and a half hours after the lake began to overflow.
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