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Aerial videos show the devastation left by flash floods and debris flows in Nepal as rescuers search for survivors.
Aerial views show widespread destruction after flash floods and debris flows in Nuwakot, Nepal (Video screengrab)
Aerial visuals from Nuwakot in Nepal have captured the devastating scale of destruction after flash floods and debris flows swept through parts of the Himalayan region, leaving homes, roads, vehicles and other structures destroyed.
The videos, widely shared on social media, show vast stretches of land covered in thick layers of mud and debris, offering a stark view of the aftermath of the disaster.
The visuals come as rescuers continue searching for survivors across the affected areas of Nepal and China’s Tibet.
According to Reuters, at least 165 people have died, and nearly 1,500 people were reported missing across Nepal and Tibet on Thursday after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a Himalayan river, sending catastrophic floods through towns and valleys.
In Nepal alone, almost 600 foreigners were among 826 people reported missing, according to police and tourism officials.
At least 177 of those missing were from India, while others included nationals of the United States, Australia, Britain and Canada.
Homes And Roads Buried Under Mud
The aerial footage shows the extent to which settlements close to the river were affected.
Thick layers of mud can be seen covering homes, trees and vehicles, while the surrounding landscape appears heavily damaged by the force of the floodwaters and debris.
Footage from the affected region also showed collapsed homes, floating cars and a metal bridge being swept away.
Witnesses described entire villages being engulfed by the floodwaters.
In Rasuwa, health worker Tula Bahadur BK told Reuters, “There is devastation everywhere we look.”
He said settlements next to the river had been completely swept away, and that five of his relatives were missing.
The disaster also caused severe disruption along the mountainous route linking Lhasa in Tibet with Kathmandu, an area used by trekkers and pilgrims.
Videos Capture The Moment Of Destruction
Security footage from the Chinese side of the border showed people fleeing as a torrent of rock, mud and water moved through the area, destroying buildings and vehicles.
An initial study of Planet Labs satellite imagery indicated that a landslide of ice and rock unleashed a flood carrying debris into the Lhende River, around 20 km northeast of the Nepal-China Rasuwagadhi border crossing, Nepal disaster management officials said on X.
The US Geological Survey determined that seismic energy initially reported as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake was in fact generated by the collapse of glacial rock and ice, followed by a debris flow.
The aerial views recorded after the disaster underline the scale of the material left behind, with mud and debris spread across affected settlements and infrastructure.
Rescue Operations Underway In Nepal
More than 5,000 army and police personnel were mobilised in Nepal to search for survivors and recover bodies.
Helicopters were being used to reach people cut off by the destruction and to deliver emergency supplies.
In the hardest-hit districts, Nepal’s army said helicopters were dropping tents, food and other supplies provided by neighbouring India.
Police said the death toll was expected to rise as search operations resumed and more bodies were recovered.
The scale of the devastation has also complicated rescue operations.
Chinese authorities identified risks from a still-dammed lake in Gyirong, upstream from the mudslide and flood-hit Tibet-Nepal border crossing, which could further complicate efforts in the mountainous area.
Pilgrims And Foreign Tourists Among Missing
The disaster struck a region that was seeing visitors travelling towards Kailash Mansarovar, a high-altitude pilgrimage site revered by Hindus and Buddhists, among others.
Reuters reported that 15 Indian-Australians travelling on a pilgrimage tour with a Himalayan tourism operator were among those missing.
With rescue teams continuing their search, authorities expect the number of casualties and missing people to change as more areas become accessible and debris is cleared.
ALSO READ | Nepal Flash Floods Renew Fears Over China’s Monster Dam On Brahmaputra. Is It A ‘Water Bomb’ Near India?
Quick Answers
Ask News18Yes, similar glacial rock collapses could happen again in the Himalayas. Climate change and rising temperatures are causing glaciers to melt and increasing the frequency of avalanches in the sensitive Himalayan regions.
Ask News18About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
August 27, 2026, 11:00 IST
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