Death toll reaches 626 in Nepal flash floods, nearly 2,000 still missing

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Rescue operations for people trapped inside the tunnel of the Trishuli 3 ‘A’ Hydropower Project, in Rasuwa, on August 29, 2026. Photo: X/@PM_nepal_ via ANI.

The death toll from Nepal’s devastating flash floods rose to 669 on Saturday (August 29, 2026), as authorities said rescue operations continued , albeit with difficulty, given the remoteness of the region.

The country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said at least 2,426 people remained missing, while 4,451 had been rescued.

According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), 187 tourists have been rescued, including 114 from India. Other rescued tourists are from China (27), South Korea (20), Germany (four), Malta (four) and Italy (three).

Rescue operations continued for a fourth day since the disaster struck Rasuwa, a district bordering Tibet in China, causing cascading destruction in villages downstream as authorities forecast more rain, raising fears of further flooding. The flooding has been described as the worst and most unprecedented disaster since the 2015 earthquakes, which killed nearly 9,000 people.

In a social media post, Prime Minister Balendra Shah said: “More than 15,000 security personnel have been deployed for search-and-rescue operations.”

Police and rescuers use a drone to assess the ground situation after flash floods in Devighat in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on August 29, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP

Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said the Nepal government has mobilised all available resources and efforts for search, rescue, relief and recovery operations, with particular attention to people who remain missing, including Nepali and foreign nationals.

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“Our immediate priority remains clear: to save lives, locate missing persons, rescue them, provide urgent relief to survivors and ensure that affected Nepalis as well as foreigners receive appropriate assistance and support,” Mr. Khanal said at a press briefing in Kathmandu.

He reiterated that the scale of devastation was enormous and that support and assistance would be required not only during the rescue and relief phase, but also during reconstruction. He dismissed reports that Nepal had rejected international assistance and support.