Nepal flash floods LIVE: At least 95 dead, over 350 missing; IAF to deploy two aircraft with relief materials - The Hindu

**Flash floods ravage Nepal’s mountainous north, killing at least 95 and leaving more than 350 people missing** Heavy monsoon rains combined with a sudden glacial‑lake burst on the Nepal‑China border on 23 August triggered flash floods and landslides that swept through the districts of Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha and Terhathum. The deluge turned valleys into raging rivers, sweeping away homes, bridges and entire villages within seconds. Rescue teams have recovered dozens of bodies, but the death toll is expected to rise as search‑and‑rescue crews continue to scour inaccessible terrain. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) has declared a state of emergency, and the government has set up temporary shelters for thousands of displaced families.

In response, India has mobilised immediate humanitarian aid. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke directly with Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah, offering “all possible assistance” and confirming that the Indian Air Force (IAF) will dispatch two C‑130J transport aircraft loaded with relief material, including food, medicines, tents and cold‑weather gear. The IAF’s deployment marks the first of its kind for a cross‑border natural disaster in the region. The United Kingdom’s foreign office, citing the Nepalese Tourist Board, has reported that **33 British nationals** remain unaccounted for, prompting a coordinated effort between Nepali, Indian and British authorities to locate and evacuate the missing tourists. Indian media reports also indicate that several Indian pilgrims on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra are among those missing, heightening diplomatic urgency.

The catastrophe underscores the vulnerability of the trans‑Himalayan corridor, a key pilgrimage and trekking route that draws thousands of foreign visitors each year. Satellite imagery released by the Times of India shows “doomsday‑like” scenes of washed‑out roads and collapsed bridges along the border, complicating relief logistics. Nepal’s government has appealed for international aid, while neighbouring China has sent rescue teams to the affected border villages. As the death toll climbs and the number of missing remains high, the focus now shifts to providing shelter, clean water and medical care to survivors, and to restoring the critical infrastructure that underpins both local livelihoods and the region’s tourism economy.