Two Irish tourists among hundreds missing following deadly floods in Nepal

Two Irish nationals are feared missing following devastating flash floods in Nepal's Rasuwa region, the tour operator leading their excursion has said.

Hundreds of people have been reported missing and at least 22 have died after torrential floods hit Himalayan border areas in Nepal and Tibet.

Houses, roads, bridges and power projects were swept away in Nepal, while officials in Tibet said they feared “major casualties”, with people reported missing in Gyirong county after a mudslide hit a border crossing between Nepal and China.

Officials said 384 tourists had been reported missing, including 291 foreign nationals from countries such as India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

Alpine Eco Trek, which offers guided tours and expeditions in Nepal, said two Irish nationals were among a group on one of its tours across the Nepal-Tibet border who were missing on Wednesday.

Also missing from the tour are four South African nationals and 12 British nationals, including a 13-year-old girl.

The Nepal Tourism Board has confirmed the group is among the 384 tourists reported missing.

The Irish Examiner has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs for comment.

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 by Prabin RANABHAT / AFP via Getty Images)

Ram Kumar Adhikari, manager of Alpine Eco Trek, told the Press Association from the affected area that there was “not much info to share at the moment”.

Rescue helicopters have been unable to land in the affected areas of Syapru Besi and Timure, in the mountainous Rasuwa district, which has a population of about 50,000, officials said.

Television footage showed crumbled homes in flood waters, floating cars and a metal bridge being washed away, while witnesses told Reuters the waters had engulfed entire villages.

“There could be heavy casualties or loss of property,” said district administrator Narendra Pariyar, who urged people living on the banks of the Bhote Koshi River to move to higher ground following reports of villages and project sites being swept away.

“There is devastation everywhere we look,” Tula Bahadur BK, a health worker in Rasuwa, told Reuters. “The settlements next to the river have been completely swept away. Five of my own relatives are missing.”

Nepal’s rescue helicopters would be unable to land in the affected areas until the waters recede, army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said.

Search underway for missing tourists 

The cause of the flooding was not immediately clear, but a deadly flash flood on the same river last year was eventually traced to the draining of a glacial lake.

Rescue personnel use an excavator to carry a person affected by flash floods at Devghat in Nepal's Nuwakot district on August 26, 2026.(Photo by Prakash MATHEMA / AFP via Getty Images)

The Nepal Tourism Board said its staff and tourist police are “working to verify the whereabouts and safety status of tourists and travellers who were in or travelling through the affected areas”.

A preliminary check found 291 foreign nationals had been reported missing in the affected areas, with the nationalities of more than 100 others yet to be confirmed.

In a joint statement with Australia, the EU, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland, the UK Embassy in Nepal said: “We are deeply saddened by the devastating flooding in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and surrounding areas.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster.

“We express our solidarity with the people of Nepal during this difficult time.

“We encourage all those in affected areas to follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories as the situation continues to evolve.” 

China’s official Xinhua news agency said the mudslide occurred on the Nepalese side and hit the Gyirong port, cutting roads, communications and power links in the Shigatse region near the border with Nepal, but did not elaborate.

Damaged houses and vehicles are seen in the aftermath of flash floods along the Trishuli River in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged “all-out” search efforts for the missing, as well as stronger monitoring and early-warning systems to prevent secondary disasters.

Nepal’s energy ministry said 430MW of electricity generation capacity had been affected, mostly at hydroelectric projects, representing more than 12% of the country’s total hydropower capacity of 3.2GW, according to a Reuters calculation.

Police and the military were joining the rescue effort, Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah said.

“Instructions have been given … to move the people living in the lower areas to safer places,” he said. “People along the river are advised to exercise extra caution and remain alert.” 

Originating in Tibet, the Bhote Koshi River empties into Nepal’s Trishuli River, which eventually flows into India as the Gandak River.

Last year’s Bhote Koshi flood killed nine people and washed away a “friendship bridge” linking Nepal and China, disrupting trade and transport for months. That flood was triggered by the draining of a supraglacial lake in Tibet, a regional climate monitor said.