Catastrophic flooding on the Nepal-Tibet border unleashed waves of water and debris that have killed at least 160 people and left hundreds more missing. The exact sequence of events is still unclear, but on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) morning, torrents of water and debris crashed downstream on both sides of the border.

Surveillance video from the Chinese side showed a wall of mud and water crashing over a building as terrified people ran away. In Nepal, a surge of water hit villages and towns on the path of two rivers – Bhote Koshi and Trishuli.

The disaster was intially described as a flood on the Nepalese side, and a mudslide by Chinese authorities. While preliminary satellite analysis points to a rock-and-ice landslide as the immediate cause, experts say a thorough assessment is needed to establish the sequence of events and whether a glacial process also contributed to the flood.

Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, citing a preliminary analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery, said in the evening that a rock-and-ice landslide along the Nepal-China border, about 20 km northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border crossing, caused a debris-laden flood in the Lhende River, a tributary of Bhotekoshi, that flowed through Timure and entered the Trishuli River. Earlier, Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal told Parliament that preliminary information suggested an earthquake around 8.37 a.m. triggered an ice avalanche, which was followed by the flood around 8.40 a.m. “The information needed further verification,” he said.

The recurrence of extreme floods has raised concerns among experts about disaster preparedness, infrastructure planning and risk mitigation. A construction spree along rivers in Nepal’s northern regions, driven in part by the country’s push to expand hydropower as an economic booster, has remained a concern for environmentalists and climate experts.

Thirty-four Australians are missing following flash flooding through the Nepal-Tibet border region, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday (August 27, 2026).

“At this point, Nepal is a developing country; it doesn’t have the resources that an event like that would have in Australia, so information is difficult,” he told a panel discussion.

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“Our thoughts are with all those who will be concerned about their loved ones today.”

The Australians are among hundreds of people missing in flash floods and landslides that killed at least 160. The death toll appeared likely to rise.

Australia’s foreign ministry said: “We are aware of a number of Australians in the area and Australian officials are urgently working to confirm their welfare.”

“We are liaising with local authorities as well as tour operators,” a spokesperson said.