Flash Flood in Nepal's Rasuwa Leaves Nearly 400 Kailash Pilgrims Missing

A devastating flash flood struck the Bhote Koshi river basin along the Tibet-Nepal border on Wednesday morning, August 26, 2026, leaving nearly 400 pilgrims bound for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra out of contact in Nepal's Rasuwa district. The deluge, which occurred between 8:30 and 9:15 a.m. local time, washed away critical infrastructure, including the Nepal-China Miteri Bridge, roads, and residential buildings, while also causing at least 19 confirmed deaths. The flood originated from a sudden surge of water on the Tibetan side, possibly triggered by a landslide that temporarily blocked a river before bursting through.