City Swallowed by Mud: The Devastating Sight of Nepal's Flash Floods

Floods and landslides on the Nepal-China border have killed 165 people and left nearly 1,500 missing, including 800 foreign nationals.

Drone footage shows mud covering buildings after the flash flood in Trishuli, Nuwakot district, Nepal, on Thursday (27/8/2026).

The disaster damaged a number of buildings and infrastructure, while valleys in Rasuwa District, Nepal, were buried in mud due to the torrential floodwaters.

Aerial images reveal the extent of the damage in the affected area. Several vehicles appear wrecked, while the surrounding landscape is buried under mud and landslide debris.

The area contains at least six large hydroelectric power plants as well as various infrastructure at the Gyirong Port trade centre. The flood also altered the river’s course for more than 100 kilometres downstream, approaching the Indian border.

Residents were seen walking through the debris following the catastrophic flood, searching for and carrying away belongings that could still be salvaged.

The disaster killed at least 165 people. Nearly 1,500 people are still reported missing, including at least 800 foreign nationals, according to authorities on Thursday (27/8/2026).

Nepalese rescue teams deployed helicopters to search for survivors and drop emergency aid to thousands of residents isolated in several towns and valleys. Police and Nepalese tourism officials said nearly 500 foreign nationals are among the 826 people reported missing in the country.

The incident began when a massive wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river in the Himalayan region. Scientists suspect the landslide material, consisting of ice and rock, originated from the northern slope of Langtang Lirung Peak in Nepal. The material then fell into the Lhende Khola River in Tibet and triggered a devastating flood downstream.