Pinoy missing; scores killed in Nepal floods
Nepali police said they had recovered 177 bodies, while 823 people remained out of contact, including 517 foreign tourists.
Mudman Nepal Army personnel rescue a man (inset) stranded by massive floods and landslides along the Nepal-Tibet border on 26 August 2026. The disaster killed nearly 200 people and left hundreds missing from the mud- and water-swept banks of rivers (main panel).
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
No Filipino has been reported killed or injured in the massive mudslide and flash floods that struck Nepal and the Tibet border, Malacañang said Thursday as rescue teams searched for more than 1,300 missing persons.
The Nepal Tourism Board, however, said on Thursday that one Filipino was among the 644 foreign travelers reported missing. The board added the information was still being verified and cross-checked with travel agencies and local authorities.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, citing an initial Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) report, said no Filipino casualty had been reported as of Thursday morning.
She said the Philippine government was coordinating with Nepalese authorities and the Filipino community to determine whether any Filipinos were affected.
Records of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the DFA showed there were 18 overseas Filipino workers currently living in Nepal. Government records also listed 128 other Filipinos in the country, most of them women married to Nepalese nationals.
The authorities were checking the whereabouts and condition of any Filipinos who may have been in the areas struck by the disaster on Wednesday along the Nepal-Tibet border when flash floods and landslides swept through towns and villages along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers.
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Foreigners missing
Nepali police said they had recovered 177 bodies, while 823 people remained out of contact, including 517 foreign tourists. Deaths were reported in seven Nepali districts.
In Tibet, Chinese state media reported three deaths and 558 people missing at Gyirong Port, including 260 foreigners.
The missing foreigners, aside from the Filipino, included nationals from India, Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea and the United States.
Rescue teams searched devastated areas Thursday as authorities warned that more flooding could occur because debris had blocked the waterways upstream.
The US Geological Survey said the disaster, initially reported as a magnitude-4.4 earthquake, was caused by a glacial collapse that triggered a massive debris flow.
Inland tsunami
The sudden rush of water and debris was likened to an “inland tsunami,” with floodwaters traveling nearly 170 kilometers south into Nepal.
Nepalese authorities were racing to evacuate survivors from affected areas while emergency workers in Tibet joined rescue operations.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was sending emergency supplies, including blankets, first aid kits, stretchers and body bags.
Castro said the Philippine government would continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with Nepalese authorities and the Filipino community for developments.