NEWJEEby KVA
All daily briefs
Disasters & EmergenciesDevelopingNepal floods, August 2026

Death toll rises to 1,399; India begins 654 MW daily power supply as rescue teams near final stage at Chilime tunnel

Nepal's confirmed deaths climb to 1,399 as joint rescue operations approach trapped workers at the Chilime powerhouse, while India's emergency electricity exports begin to stabilize the grid after flood damage knocked out more than 600 MW of hydropower capacity.

8 sources analysed
Aerial view of a Nepali riverside town half-buried in grey flood sediment. Concrete buildings stand intact on the green hillside to the left, while those nearer the river are sheared open or reduced to rubble, with the widened riverbed of mud and debris filling the right of the frame.

Quick summary

Nepal's flash flood death toll has reached 1,399 as of Tuesday, September 15, according to The Hindu, with authorities recovering additional bodies from eight affected districts. India has begun supplying up to 654 MW of electricity to Nepal for 18 hours daily under emergency arrangements that started September 13 and will run until December 31, 2026, after the August 26 floods severely damaged hydropower infrastructure. Joint Nepal–India rescue teams are nearing the final stage of operations to reach six workers believed trapped in the Chilime tunnel, using wheel loaders and mud pumps to clear a blocked section leading to the underground powerhouse. Nepal continues to export 500–800 MW of surplus electricity to India daily even as it imports power to prevent winter shortages, while reconstruction estimates hold at approximately Rs 723 billion (USD 4.7–4.8 billion).

Key points

  • Nepal's death toll climbed to 1,399 as of September 15, up from 1,388 the previous day, with searches ongoing across eight affected districts.
  • India's emergency power supply of 654 MW began September 13 via the Muzaffarpur–Dhalkebar and Tanakpur–Mahendranagar corridors, providing 18 hours of daily electricity until end-December 2026.
  • Rescue operations at the Chilime tunnel have reached the final stage, with teams working to clear debris and reach the underground powerhouse where six workers are believed trapped.
  • Despite flood damage to 13 hydropower projects, Nepal continues exporting 500–800 MW of surplus electricity to India daily after meeting domestic demand.
  • India delivered the first components of a 70-meter Bailey bridge to Nepal's Road Division on September 12 for installation in Betrawati, Nuwakot district.
  • Reconstruction costs remain estimated at Rs 723 billion (approximately USD 4.7–4.8 billion), with Rs 391 billion required to restore energy and grid systems.

How it unfolded

  1. New

    Flood begins

    A glacier collapse and ice-rock avalanche trigger a major surge through the Bhotekoshi river system.

  2. New

    Infrastructure hit

    Roads, hydropower plants and transmission facilities suffer major damage.

  3. ChangedContested

    Reported casualty numbers rise sharply

    Figures moved from 8 to more than 350 within 24 hours as information reached authorities from areas cut off by communication outages.

  4. Changed

    Cause clarified

    Reporting identifies a glacial flood mechanism, and early seismic signals are attributed to the landslide rather than a tectonic earthquake.

  5. New

    More than 1,300 people reported missing

    The scale of the missing-person count prompts international rescue efforts.

  6. New

    Warning of a second flood

    Authorities warn that a landslide-created lake combined with further rainfall could produce a secondary disaster.

  7. New

    Rescue race

    Reports that 933 hydropower workers are missing shift international attention toward the flooded tunnels.

  8. New

    Search continues

    Rescuers drill into hydropower tunnels as hopes of finding survivors become a central focus of coverage.

  9. ChangedContested

    Reported missing count rises to 4,793

    Up from roughly 1,300 five days earlier.

  10. New

    Close to 300 workers rescued from tunnels

    Rescue teams from China, India and Nepal use excavators and temporary bridges to reach trapped workers.

  11. New

    Electricity restored

    Power has been restored nearly a week after the floods.

  12. New

    Death toll crosses 1,000

    The Associated Press reports more than 1,000 deaths across Nepal and China.

  13. New

    Official says trapped workers may be alive

    A Nepal Electricity Authority official states there is a high chance workers trapped in Rasuwagadhi hydropower plant chambers have survived.

  14. New

    U.S. rescue teams join effort

    Specialized rescue teams from the United States are now involved alongside Chinese, Indian and Nepali crews.

  15. New

    Economic toll quantified

    Mongabay reports 281 MW of installed capacity wiped out or badly damaged, 388 MW under construction damaged, with losses estimated in the hundreds of billions of Nepali rupees.

  16. New

    Death toll surpasses 1,200

    Multiple outlets report the death toll has exceeded 1,200, making this Nepal's deadliest natural disaster since the 2015 earthquake.

  17. Changed

    Authorities 'very confident' 46 workers may be alive

    Nepal Electricity Authority officials say they are 'very confident' about 46 workers trapped in an underground room at Rasuwagadhi have access to food and water, refining earlier statements about trapped workers' chances of survival.

  18. New

    Rescuers advance 250 meters into Rasuwagadhi tunnel

    Teams have progressed 250 meters into a tunnel at Rasuwagadhi before encountering a blockage, continuing efforts to reach the underground chamber.

  19. New

    At least eight workers may be trapped at Chilime project

    Nepal's Independent Power Producers' Association reports at least eight people may be trapped at the Chilime hydropower project.

  20. New

    Two workers rescued alive from tunnel

    Described as a "miracle" rescue nine days after the flood began.

  21. New

    Death toll rises to 1,294 in Nepal

    Nepal's disaster agency reports 1,294 bodies recovered and 5,053 people missing as of Sept. 5.

  22. New

    Overall death toll crosses 1,290

    Multiple outlets report more than 1,290 or 1,300 dead across Nepal and China combined.

  23. Changed

    Rasuwagadhi reports 93 workers missing

    Company secretary says 93 people are unaccounted for; searches of the powerhouse found no one inside, and the company now estimates between four and 14 may have been trapped inside the powerhouse.

  24. New

    Nepal Electricity Authority confirms 431 MW knocked out

    Six major hydropower and transmission facilities were damaged, including Rasuwagadhi, Chilime and Trishuli 3A.

  25. New

    Search for Rasuwagadhi workers expands beyond powerhouse

    Searches extended to nearby forests and difficult mountain terrain after no one was found inside the powerhouse.

  26. Changed

    Death toll rises to 1,357 in Nepal

    Nepal's disaster authority updates the count from 1,294 on Sept. 5 to 1,357 bodies recovered as of Sept. 8, with 5,326 missing.

  27. New

    China reports 43 deaths and 519 missing

    China's official tally brings the combined death toll across both countries to at least 1,400 with more than 5,800 missing.

  28. New

    Army estimates 121 workers trapped in hydropower tunnels

    The Nepali Army provides a specific estimate of people trapped inside tunnels at various hydropower projects in Rasuwa.

  29. New

    Four rescued alive in last five days

    Including a Chinese national rescued from an audit tunnel at Upper Trishuli 1 on Saturday and a 64-year-old woman from Betrawati.

  30. New

    Public anger mounts over search delays

    Families and local communities express concern about the pace and prioritization of tunnel rescue operations.

  31. Changed

    Death toll rises to 1,367 in Nepal

    Nepal's disaster authority updates the count from 1,357 on Sept. 8 to 1,367 bodies recovered as of Sept. 9.

  32. New

    Army identifies three tunnel focus sites

    Nepal Army confirms search operations are concentrated on the Trishuli 3A, 3B and Chilime hydropower project tunnels.

  33. Changed

    Combined death toll reaches 1,410

    Multiple outlets report at least 1,410 deaths across Nepal and China, up from 1,400.

  34. New

    Nepal deploys drones for flood relief

    Authorities begin using drones to deliver medicines and supplies to communities cut off by landslide damage.

  35. New

    5.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Nepal

    A magnitude 5.0 earthquake jolted Nepal amid ongoing flood rescue operations.

  36. Changed

    Missing count revised to 5,651

    Up from 5,326 in Nepal and 519 in China reported on Sept. 8.

  37. New

    Fresh air detected in tunnel searches

    Rescuers find fresh air during operations at submerged hydropower plant tunnels, raising hopes for trapped workers.

  38. New

    Nepal uses cargo drones for food delivery

    For the first time in an emergency operation in Nepal, cargo drones deliver food to communities cut off by landslides.

  39. New

    India sends new relief consignment

    India delivers tents, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps, medicines and rescue equipment to flood-hit Nepal.

  40. New

    Damage assessment quantifies energy losses

    Rapid assessment shows 13 hydropower projects and five solar plants totaling 783 MW severely damaged across Rasuwa and Nuwakot, with Rs 390.623 billion required for full grid restoration.

  41. New

    917 workers and employees remain missing

    Rescue teams are still searching for 917 missing workers and employees nearly two weeks after the disaster.

  42. Changed

    Nepal death toll rises to 1,385

    Nepal's disaster agency updates the count from 1,367 on Sept. 9 to 1,385 bodies recovered as of Thursday.

  43. Changed

    Combined death toll reaches 1,428

    Multiple outlets report at least 1,428 deaths across Nepal and China, up from 1,410.

  44. New

    Nepal estimates $7 billion reconstruction cost

    Authorities project nearly $7 billion will be needed to rebuild after the floods, with at least 12 hydropower projects engulfed in mud and debris and entire villages wiped out.

  45. New

    Cool air pocket detected at Trishuli tunnel

    Rescuers searching the underground Trishuli hydropower facility detect a pocket of cool, fresh air toward the top of the five-floor tunnel complex, raising faint hopes for six workers still unaccounted for at the site.

  46. New

    China donates four cargo drones to Nepal

    Nepal Army receives four DJI FlyCart 100 cargo drones donated by China to fly food to stranded survivors and recover bodies from areas difficult to access.

  47. New

    Drones conduct 10-16 relief missions daily

    The cargo drones have been conducting about 10 to 16 relief runs per day, transporting more than 1,500 kilograms of food and also being used for reconnaissance in flood-hit zones.

  48. New

    Proton donates drones worth RM200,000

    Malaysian automaker Proton donates drones worth nearly RM200,000 to support disaster assessment and response efforts.

  49. New

    India begins 654 MW emergency power supply to Nepal

    Supply for 18 hours daily (midnight to 6 p.m.) via Muzaffarpur–Dhalkebar and Tanakpur–Mahendranagar corridors, authorized until December 31, 2026.

  50. Changed

    Nepal revises reconstruction cost to $4.78 billion

    Foreign ministry lowers earlier estimate from nearly $7 billion, breaking down the new figure into $57.67 million for short-term recovery over six months and about $4.71 billion for longer-term rebuilding.

  51. Changed

    Nepal death toll rises to 1,388

    Multiple outlets report Nepal's disaster authority has confirmed at least 1,388 deaths, up from 1,385 on Sept. 12.

  52. New

    India approves 654 MW power export to Nepal

    India steps in to supply electricity after floods severely damaged Nepal's hydropower infrastructure and knocked out hundreds of megawatts of generation capacity.

  53. New

    India hands over Bailey bridge components

    India delivers first components of a 70-meter Bailey bridge to restore connectivity in flood-hit areas where dozens of bridges were washed away.

  54. New

    At least 40 workers missing at Trishuli-3A

    Analysis reports at least 40 workers remain unaccounted for at the Trishuli-3A project alone, adding granular detail to earlier estimates of around 900 missing hydropower workers.

  55. Changed

    Death toll rises to 1,399 in Nepal

    Up from 1,388 on Sept. 14; authorities recovered additional bodies from eight affected districts.

  56. New

    Rescue teams near final stage at Chilime tunnel

    Joint Nepal–India operations using wheel loaders and mud pumps to clear blocked section and reach underground powerhouse where six workers are believed trapped.

Nepal floods, August 2026

Sources analysed

8 outlets in the analysed roster.

Ask me to verify a claim ✓