Missing New Zealanders named as Nepal flash flood toll rises

Five Kiwis are reportedly missing after deadly flash floods swept through Nepal, killing at least 160 people with hundreds more missing. 

Former honorary consul of Nepal to Auckland Dinesh Khadka told RNZ that Nepal police had given him the names of five New Zealanders unaccounted for. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has said the ministry is in contact with Nepali authorities. 

“We are deeply concerned about the flooding and landslides in Nepal’s Rasuwa district and the Nepal/China border area,” he said. 

“New Zealand extends its condolences to all those affected. We are in touch with authorities in Nepal, including about New Zealanders who may have been affected by the disaster.” 

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has also shared his condolences with those impacted by the floods. 

“The images coming out of Nepal and China following the flash flooding are heartbreaking,” Luxon said in a statement. 

“My deep condolences to those affected and to impacted communities.” 

Meanwhile, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) spokesperson could not confirm five Kiwis were missing and said the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi was seeking information about New Zealanders who may have been affected by the flooding and landslides. 

“All New Zealanders in Nepal should follow the advice of local authorities at all times, including any evacuation orders,” the spokesperson said in a statement. 

“New Zealanders in Nepal should also let their family and friends know that they are safe when they are able to. 

“New Zealanders requiring urgent consular assistance can call the 24/7 consular emergency line on +64 99 20 20 20.” 

About 403 tourists, including 341 foreigners, were unaccounted for several hours after the disaster struck, according to Nepal tourism officials. 

The missing foreigners included 142 Indians, as well as others from Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea and the United States, the Nepal Tourism Board said. 

Nepali police say they have recovered 157 bodies after the terrifying flood tore through the Tibet border region, taking the overall death toll to at least 160, with several hundred missing. 

Houses lie partially submerged in muddy water along a riverside after flash floods at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal's Nuwakot district on August 26, 2026. Photo / AFP 

The police issued an operational update on Wednesday local time detailing the 157 dead. Chinese state media had earlier reported “major casualties” from a mudslide at a Tibet border hub, reporting three dead and another 265 people missing. 

Earlier, Nepali police said that “100 people have died due to the devastating floods”, with officers “working to move families in flood-risk areas ... to safer locations”. 

Rescuers waded through mud and sludge to look for survivors after floodwaters buried the lower floors of multi-storey buildings. 

“Entire villages and market areas have been wiped out,” David Fisher, the Nepal head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said. 

The federation was dispatching emergency supplies, including blankets, first-aid kits, stretchers and body bags. 

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah vowed a maximum response.

“The pain and loss you have suffered is not small,” he said in a statement on social media. “But I want to assure you that you are not alone in this difficult time — the state is with you with all its means and resources.”

Risk of new flood? 

Locals were traumatised, while experts cautioned that a lingering blockage in a river could produce an additional flood. 

Rescue personnel carry a person affected by flash floods at Devghat in Nepal's Nuwakot district on August 26, 2026. Photo / AFP

“I got a call from [my brother-in-law] this morning, and they were crying and said their entire house had been swept away. Three family members were rescued, but his brother is still missing,” said a 56-year-old local, Raju Bhadel. 

The cause of the flooding was not immediately clear. 

But Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said an earthquake likely triggered a landslide, which in turn blocked a river, sending water gushing downstream. 

Nepal’s disaster authority said that satellite data indicated that a “snow-rock landslide” on the Nepal-China border may have caused the flood. 

Images shared by Nepali police showed floodwater surging through a river, sweeping away houses in its path, while AFP images depicted the top floor of a house sticking out from muddy soil. 

The Nepali Army was carrying out flights and had rescued scores of people, while others living near the river in danger zones had been told to relocate. 

The Nepal Electricity Authority said about 430 megawatts of production capacity, including from hydropower and solar facilities, had been damaged “resulting in disruption” of the supply. 

‘Mudslide disaster’ 

Sarthak Shrestha, a remote sensing and geo information analyst at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), said a preliminary assessment showed “no anomalies” from China’s side of the border. 

“We believe a rock-ice avalanche occurred in Nepal, blocking the Lhende river and causing the cascading flood event,” he told AFP. 

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday that “a mudslide disaster” on the Nepali side resulted in “major casualties and missing people” at the Gyirong Port in Tibet. 

China’s leader Xi Jinping said that “the most urgent task is doing everything possible to search for and rescue the missing people”, according to CCTV. 

Traffic authorities in Tibet’s Shigatse said roads in the area were “at risk of mudslides and unsafe for passage”. 

Monsoon rains from June to September regularly trigger deadly floods and landslides across South Asia. 

Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the region. 

Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at ICIMOD, warned of the potential for a second flood. 

“With a blockage still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river, authorities warn a second flood may occur,” he told AFP. 

- AFP with additional reporting NZ Herald