Nepal's tourism board said the missing include more than 100 Indian nationals, 54 Americans, 33 Britons and more than 100 Nepalis, in an area popular with pilgrims and trekkers.
Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said preliminary findings point to an earthquake that triggered an avalanche, which sent a wall of water crashing through the mountainous Rasuwa district. The communities of Syaprubesi and Timure, home to roughly 50,000 people, bore the brunt of the destruction. Authorities have ordered residents along the Bhote Koshi River to move to higher ground.
"There are reports that entire villages have been wiped out", district chief Narendra Pariyar told Reuters.
The flood knocked out power across the region after sweeping away hydroelectric plants, roads and bridges, Nepal's Ministry of Water Resources said. Prime Minister Balendra Shah said army units, police and rescue teams have been dispatched to the disaster zone.
Poland's Foreign Ministry said it has no indication any Polish citizens were caught up in the disaster.
"At present, the Polish consular service has no information about Polish citizens who may have been harmed by the flood in Nepal", the ministry said, adding that its consul in New Delhi and honorary consul in Kathmandu are monitoring developments.
Across the border in Tibet, Chinese state media reported three dead and 265 missing after the flood struck Gyirong county. State broadcaster CCTV footage showed a wall of water and mud slamming into buildings at a border crossing. Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for an intensified search effort and urged stronger flood-monitoring and early-warning systems.
The Bhote Koshi River, which originates in Tibet and flows through Nepal into India, saw a similar disaster last year. A 2025 flood on the river, blamed on a draining glacial lake in Tibet, killed nine people, left 24 missing and destroyed the Friendship Bridge connecting Nepal and China, disrupting cross-border trade for months.
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Source: PAP, BBC, Reuters