Thousands still missing, aid needs mount one month after Nepal’s deadly floods

Flood victims sit outside tents at a temporary shelter area in Nepal痴 Nuwakot district on September 22, 2026. — AFP pic

First Published: Thursday, 24 Sep 2026 4:22 PM MYT

KATHMANDU, Sept 24 — The tsunami-like flood that cut a swathe of destruction through Nepal on August 26 has left the Himalayan nation grappling with heavy losses and mounting reconstruction needs.

One month on, AFP looks at the scale of the disaster triggered by a high-altitude glacial mountain collapse on the China-Nepal border, which scientists have linked to climate change.

‘Bullet train’ of debris 

On August 26 at 8.37am (08.52am Malaysia time), a mass of ice and rock broke away from the north face of Nepal’s Langtang Lirung mountain, sending a huge mass of debris racing down the valley.

The collapse began at an altitude of about 5,200 metres with a section more than a kilometre (0.6 miles) wide and extending roughly 700 metres vertically.

People wait to cross the Trishuli river via a zip line, in the aftermath of August 26 flash flood, at Devighat in Nepal's Nuwakot district on September 24, 2026. — AFP pic

That mass of rock and ice plunged about 800 metres onto a debris-covered glacier, before surging downhill, briefly damming the Lhende River. Water and debris then burst downstream.

The debris travelled about 20 kilometres, dropping 1,700 metres at Rasuwagadhi in only seven minutes, said Sudan Bikash Maharjan, a geologist with the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.

“The elevation difference is high, within a very short length,” Maharjan told AFP. “So it just rushed down like a bullet train.”

Heavy toll 

Nepal’s disaster authority says 1,451 bodies have been recovered from the rubble and mud, while more than 5,700 people are missing.

Among the missing are hundreds of workers from hydropower projects swept away by the disaster, along with hundreds more foreigners including tourists and pilgrims caught in the floodwaters.

Identifying victims through DNA has proved a major challenge for Nepali authorities.

With morgues overwhelmed, many bodies have been buried in mass graves after their DNA was recorded.

So far, only about 100 bodies have been identified.

On the Chinese side, where apocalyptic images showed a border post obliterated, state media have reported 43 deaths and 519 people missing.

People wait to cross the Trishuli river via a zip line, in the aftermath of August 26 flash flood, at Devighat in Nepal's Nuwakot district on September 24, 2026. — AFP pic

Rescue operations 

Hundreds of rescuers, many deployed by helicopter, have spent weeks digging through mud and debris in search of survivors.

There have been rare breakthroughs. In Nepal, three workers — two Nepalis and a Chinese man — were rescued alive from tunnels under construction where they had been trapped.

One of them, 30-year-old Sanjay Sah, told AFP he survived 10 days in darkness by drinking muddy water and praying.

“I survived thanks to my deep faith and trust,” he said.

Rescuers continue to recover bodies from the vast expanse of sticky grey mud.

This file picture shows a mother (C) mourning the demise of her son in the aftermath of flash floods, outside a mortuary in Nepal’s Chitwan district on August 31, 2026. — AFP pic

Aid efforts 

The disaster has affected more than 80,000 people. Thousands who lost everything are living in emergency shelters.

The United Nations has launched an urgent appeal for nearly US$50 million in emergency aid.

Many communities near the epicentre remain cut off, with the UN and the Nepali government delivering supplies by helicopter and cargo drone.

Several countries have pledged financial support for Nepal, amounting to a few million dollars — far below the scale of the disaster.

Economic hit 

Nepal estimates the reconstruction bill will amount to US$4.78 billion.

Of that, US$57 million is needed for short-term reconstruction and recovery over the next six months.

The floods have cut Nepal’s electricity generation capacity — mainly hydropower — by 10 per cent, with the energy sector accounting for half of the total infrastructure damage from the disaster.

The floods have cut Nepal’s hydropower generation capacity as well as total electricity generation capacity by 10 per cent, with the energy sector accounting for half of the total infrastructure damage from the disaster.

Nepal’s economy is already under pressure, with limited resources to respond to a disaster of this scale.

The World Bank estimates 82 per cent of Nepal’s workforce is in informal employment, with GDP per capita at US$1,447 in 2024.

Climate change 

From the first hours after the disaster, experts pointed to climate change as a contributing factor.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said the disaster was not caused by a single extreme weather event, but a “compound crisis” shaped by long-term warming, glacier retreat, permafrost thaw and geological instability.

“There is no doubt that climate change is one of the drivers,” said Friederike Otto, a professor of climate science at Imperial College London.

Nepal’s leaders say the country needs long-term international support to adapt to a rapidly changing mountain environment.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has urged the world to recognise the dangers of climate change and act quickly. — AFP