At least 22 killed and hundreds missing after avalanche triggers deadly flash floods in Nepal

UDIN DHUNGA, Nepal (AP) — Massive flash floods in Nepal on Wednesday killed at least 22 people and left hundreds of tourists, workers and others missing while causing widespread damage to villages and infrastructure.

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

The Bhotekoshi River flooded around 9 a.m. local time Wednesday, destroying several villages, roads and hydropower projects, officials said.

“We have asked both India and China to help us with the rescue efforts,” said Sasmit Pokharel, a spokesperson for the Nepali government.

Dozens of multistoried buildings, trucks, and vans were buried under vast quantities of mud in the district of Nuwakot, one of the worst-affected areas. Officials warned residents in several of Nepal’s districts and asked them to stay away from the banks of the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli, and Narayani rivers.

Nepal tourism board officials said most of the missing were likely tourists from India and the Indian diaspora on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in the Chinese autonomous region of Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus.

South Korean government officials said their citizens working on building a hydropower plant in Nepal were among those reported missing.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry also said its embassy in Kathmandu has received reports from travel agencies that they had lost contact with 11 Malaysians believed to be in the Rasuwa district, which was hit hard by the floods.

Meanwhile, Chinese authorities were conducting large-scale search and rescue operations in the Tibetan border area of Gyirong, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Authorities didn't announce any numbers of dead or injured.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered authorities to step up the efforts for people missing after the mudslide, state news agency Xinhua reported. Xi also called for residents at risk to be evacuated from any area on the Chinese side.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah and offered help. “India is prepared to provide Nepal with all possible types of humanitarian assistance. Our teams are closely coordinating on rescue and relief efforts,” Modi said in a social media post.

The same regions affected by Wednesday's disaster saw flash floods similar to those in August last year, when a glacial lake in neighboring Tibet overflowed because of high temperatures in the mountain region. Nine people were killed, and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged at the time.

Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development say an avalanche from a glacier likely caused Wednesday's flash flood.

The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River, witnessed maximum flooding Wednesday, they said.

“The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in fourteen months, this time triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream,” said Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the climate research group.

“In a warming Himalaya, early warning is the first line of adaptation,” he added.

The Himalayan region, which spans Nepal and several nearby countries, including India, is especially vulnerable to heavy rains, floods and landslides because it is warming faster than the rest of the world due to human-caused climate change. Research shows that extreme weather events, including heat waves and rains, and melting glaciers, have become more frequent in the region.

Researchers in Kathmandu found earlier this year that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are melting at an accelerating rate, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000 primarily due to rising global temperatures and climate change.

Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report.

Arasu reported from Bengaluru, India.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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)

Damaged houses stand precariously near the swollen, debris-choked banks of the Trishuli River after flash floods in Nepal's Nuwakot district on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Damaged houses stand precariously near the swollen, debris-choked banks of the Trishuli River after flash floods in Nepal's Nuwakot district on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

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)

People take photographs and videos of the swollen, debris-choked banks of the Trishuli River after a flash floods in Nepal's Nuwakot district on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

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)

Damaged houses stand precariously near the swollen, debris-choked banks of the Trishuli River after flash floods in Nepal's Nuwakot district on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — India put itself in a winning position in the second cricket test on Wednesday by restricting Sri Lanka in its second innings after enforcing the follow on.

India batted first after winning the toss at the Sinhalese Sports Club and scored a massive 503-9 declared then bowled Sri Lanka out for 290. Having been forced to follow on, Sri Lanka reached 229-6 to lead by only 16 runs when rain forced an early close of play on Day 4.

Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis scored fighting half-centuries and at one time appeared set to erase the big deficit and build a challenging target for India to chase.

Sri Lanka was immediately in trouble in its second innings, losing its first wicket when opener Lahiru Udara tried to hook fast bowler Mohammed Siraj and was caught at square leg for five.

Kamil Mishara was trapped lbw for 32 by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, ending a 58-run second-wicket stand with Sooriyabandara.

Sri Lanka reached lunch at 83-2, still 130 behind, but scored 116 runs in the middle session losing only one wicket.

Sooriyabandara and Mendis swept the spinners for boundaries and stepped out and drove them through mid-on and mid-off to keep pace with the runs needed to erase the deficit.

Mendis brought up his seventh test half-century by hooking fast bowler Prasidh Krishna for a huge six but one run later attempted to repeat the shot and was caught by Shubman Gill, who ran and took a well-judged high catch.

The pair added 115 runs for the third wicket off 172 deliveries.

Sri Lanka went to tea at 199-3, still well placed to score big, but Indian left-arm spinner Manav Suthar took the important wicket of captain Dhananjaya de Silva quickly in the final session when he tried to play a shot toward midwicket but only managed to edge the ball to his pads for an easy catch to Devdutt Padikkal at slip.

Sooriyabandara, who made 80 in the first innings, looked set for a maiden test century but was stumped by Rishabh Pant off a clever delivery from Suthar, who bowled the ball wide anticipating the batter to advance. In the previous delivery, Sooriyabandara had won an umpire decision review in his favor after being given out lbw for a ball that hit his thigh off the bat.

Sooriyabandara scored 92 off 173 deliveries, hitting a six and 10 boundaries.

Niroshan Dickwella (6) then failed again, trapped lbw by off spinner Saransh Jain.

Sonal Dinusha (7 not out) was batting with Keshara Nuwantha on three at the close. Suthar took two wickets for India while Siraj, Krishna, Jain, Jadeja took a wicket each.

Earlier in Sri Lanka's first innings, Krishna and Suthar took three wickets apiece to dismiss Sri Lanka with a 213-run first innings deficit.

Sri Lanka started the day at 265-8 in the first innings with No. 7 batsman Dinusha closing in on a century and just 39 runs away from avoiding the follow on.

But, Jain accounted for the last two wickets.

Dinusha raised his second century of this series in carrying on the form that fetched him 100 and 84 in the first test at Galle, where India won by 165 runs.

Lahiru Kumara, who supported Dinusha by facing 58 deliveries for his 12 runs, was out caught by Druv Jurel off Jain.

Dinusha was to last wicket to fall for 103, caught by KL Rahul off Jain. He faced 162 deliveries and hit three sixes and eight boundaries.

Krishna finished the innings with 3-52 while Suthar took 3-85. Jain had figures 2-69.

See AP’s full cricket coverage here

India's Mohammed Siraj unsuccessfully attempts to take a catch to dismiss Sri Lanka's Pasindu Sooriyabandara during day four of the second cricket test match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

India's Ravindra Jadeja, left, looks skywards as he celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Kamil Mishara with teammates during day four of the second cricket test match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Pasindu Sooriyabandara plays a shot during day four of the second cricket test match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

India's Ravindra Jadeja, second left, celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Kamil Mishara with teammates during day four of the second cricket test match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)