558 People Still Missing After Devastating Flash Flood in Nepal

Three people have died and 558 others remain missing after a landslide in Tibet on the China-Nepal border, following a devastating flash flood that struck Nepal.

Chinese state media, citing local officials, reported that of the hundreds missing, 260 are foreign nationals.

More than a thousand rescue workers, equipped with dogs and drones, are searching for survivors after mud and debris swept away buildings on the Chinese side of the border on Wednesday (26/8) morning local time.

“558 people are still missing, and among them, 260 are foreign nationals,” reported Chinese state television CCTV, citing a statement by local officials at a press conference in Tibet, as reported by AFP news agency on Thursday (27/8/2026).

The rescue operation faces various challenges, including “instability of the upstream reservoir lake” and “narrow mountain roads,” said Li Qipu, a member of the Chinese police, to CCTV.

Large vehicles and heavy equipment are currently unable to reach the main disaster zone, although surrounding roads remain open, according to the television station.

Authorities have dispatched nearly 800 people and more than 150 vehicles to the border area, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

The fire service has deployed 431 personnel, working with sniffer dogs, life-detection scanners, and small boats, Xinhua reported.

CCTV broadcast images of police officers in camouflage uniforms and orange vests carrying shovels, as well as rescuers flying drones.

Civilian and military aircraft carrying relief supplies have arrived in Tibet, CCTV reported.

Due to overnight rain, the risk of secondary disasters such as landslides and rockfalls remains high.

The Tibet Autonomous Region is largely inaccessible to foreign journalists, who are generally only permitted to visit through trips organised by the Chinese government.