British man searches for wife as Nepal floods kill hundreds

A British man searching for his newlywed wife in Nepal has said he believes she was swept to her death after flash floods triggered by a glacier collapse devastated the region. Pramod Poudel, 34, from Uckfield, East Sussex, flew to Nepal on Friday, August 28, 2026, to look for his wife Sumitra, 25, who went missing on Wednesday, August 26. He also fears for his mother, brother, and uncle, who were in the same village. The disaster occurred when a glacier collapsed near the Nepal-Tibet border, sending a torrent of water, mud, and ice downstream. The event, described as a "tsunami from the sky," destroyed homes, bridges, and roads along the Trishuli River valley. Poudel last spoke to his wife at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, just hours before the flood struck. He said her final words were, "How are you? I love you so much." Poudel trekked for 11 hours to reach his home village of Sole but could only get to a neighboring town. He reported that about 90 percent of the village had been destroyed and that at least 56 of its approximately 150 residents had died. "Everyone has been swept away. Not only my family, but my friends, too," he said. "All my dreams have been shattered.