At least 95 people died and more than 400 are missing in Nepal on Wednesday after flash floods swept through valleys in the Himalayan country’s northern border areas, according to authorities. Dozens of American citizens were among 341 foreigners listed as missing, according to the Nepal Tourism Board, citing information from tour companies. Flash floods decimated villages, crashing into homes, roads, bridges and power plants. Videos broadcast by regional media and posted on social media show violent torrents of water rushing through valleys and mountain passes, knocking down bridges and dams and leveling buildings. The Nepalese prime minister’s office confirmed that at least 95 people were killed, but there was no information on the nationalities of the victims. Hikmat Singh Ayer, CEO and senior director of the Nepal Tourism Board, told CBS News that 403 people were missing after the flood. He said 341 foreign nationals were missing, including 33 Americans, 34 Australians, 24 Canadians, 4 Germans, 19 Malaysians and one Israeli. Residents watch houses partially submerged in muddy water after flash floods in Trishuli Bazar in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on August 26, 2026. Prakash MATHEMA/AFP/Getty A sudden surge of water on Wednesday morning in the Bhote Koshi river in the country’s northern Rasuwa district, north of the capital Kathmandu, quickly affected neighboring Nuwakot districts. and Dhading. Nepali President Ramachandra Paudel said he was “extremely saddened” by the “loss of life and property caused by the sudden flood.” He called on the government, political parties, agencies and the general public to intensify rescue and relief efforts. “There could be many casualties or loss of property,” district administrator Narendra Pariyar was quoted as saying by Reuters. He has also urged people living along the banks of the Bhote Koshi river to move to higher areas. A screenshot captured from a video shared on social media by Nepal Police shows a flash flood crashing into a valley near the Nepal-China border in Nepal on August 26, 2026. Nepal Police/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Nepal’s mountainous terrain, dotted with deep valleys and narrow gorges, makes rescue and relief operations challenging. Helicopters were unable to land in the affected areas of Syapru Besi and Timure, Reuters said. Most of the missing foreigners were on trips organized by tourism and travel companies. Houses lie partially submerged in mud and water along a river after flash flooding in Trishuli Bazar in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on August 26, 2026. Prabin RANABHAT/AFP/Getty The flash flood was caused by an earthquake that triggered a large landslide, which blocked the Bhote Koshi River, according to Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) confirmed that six of its major hydropower and transmission facilities were damaged by the floods. “We don’t know exactly the extent of the damage, but the flooding is large and could have damaged many settlements,” Nepal police spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle told the French news agency AFP. “We have alerted people near the river bank to relocate… and have deployed all our resources.” People watch the destruction caused by flash floods and landslides on the Nepal-China border on August 26, 2026, in Nuwakot, Nepal. Safal Prakash Shrestha/Anadolu/Getty “Work has started to take necessary measures in coordination with the medical team, scouts and the Red Cross,” Nepalese Prime Minister Balen Shah wrote in a social media post. The Indian government ordered authorities in states along the border with Nepal to be on high alert. More from CBS News Go deeper with The Free Press in:
