Nepal floods kill hundreds, leave landscape destroyed and families searching

In early September 2026, catastrophic flash floods and landslides struck Nepal, particularly near the Tibet border, killing hundreds and wiping out entire villages and infrastructure. The disaster, which also affected parts of neighboring India, left a trail of mud and debris, with rescuers still digging through a hydropower tunnel where workers were trapped, as families clung to hope for survivors. The floods also washed away roads, bridges, and farmland, leaving officials unsure how to rebuild in a landscape that has been fundamentally altered.

A week after the disaster, the situation remained critical: authorities struggled to bury hundreds of unidentified bodies, and women in relief camps faced hygiene shortages. Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah called for global climate action, linking the extreme weather to broader environmental changes. Meanwhile, in India's Bihar state, officials warned residents not to eat fish caught from floodwaters, as contamination risks grew. Amid the chaos, false claims circulated online—such as stone sculptures being mistaken for ancient fossils—which AFP fact-checkers debunked.