Floods and landslides kill dozens in Nepal and India, avalanche leaves workers missing
Heavy monsoon rain triggered flooding and landslides across Nepal and India's Uttar Pradesh state, with death tolls varying widely by outlet and date of reporting, coming a month after an earlier catastrophic flood in Nepal's Bhotekoshi area.
What happened
Heavy rain triggered floods, landslides and, in Nepal, an avalanche across parts of India and Nepal, causing deaths, missing persons and infrastructure damage.151520
In India's Uttar Pradesh state, officials reported death tolls that rose over several days, with different outlets citing figures ranging from 56 to 81 dead and dozens injured.810111420
In Nepal, separate reports over different days cited death tolls ranging from 4 to 27, with additional people missing or injured, and roads across 25 districts blocked by landslides.11215181920
The flooding followed an earlier, larger disaster in Nepal's Bhotekoshi area around August 26, after which authorities began assessing damage and considering relocating high-risk settlements; the Times of India reported that earlier disaster had killed over 1,400 people, a figure not corroborated by other sources reviewed.719
A month after the floods, some families in Nepal remained displaced in temporary shelters, and at least one missing person's family continued seeking help from the international community.46
Dawn, citing disaster authorities, reported at least 68 people killed across India and Nepal combined over three days.20
Landslides and flooding blocked roads across 25 districts in Nepal.15
What's agreed
Reported consistently by outlets in more than one region.
Where accounts differ
Each account is attributed to who makes it. We do not judge between them.
Death toll in Uttar Pradesh, India
Death toll in Nepal from the fresh wave of flooding and landslides
Timeline and scale of the earlier Bhotekoshi disaster and its relation to the fresh floods
The Kathmandu Post
A month after the Bhotekoshi flood, Nepal's disaster authorities were assessing damage, planning reconstruction and considering relocating settlements in high-risk areas.7
The Times of India
The fresh floods followed the earlier Bhotekoshi floods, which the outlet said had a death toll of over 1,400, a figure not corroborated by other sources reviewed.19
Dawn
Nepal was 'already reeling under the catastrophic August 26 flood' when it was struck by a fresh wave of flooding and landslides that killed 12 people since the preceding Thursday.20
How it's framed
What each perspective puts first, based on headlines and summaries.
| Perspective | How it reads | What it puts first |
|---|---|---|
| South Asian outletsSouth Asia | South Asian outlets reported specific casualty figures citing government bodies, including missing and injured counts and evacuation numbers.12181916 | specific casualty figures, government sourcing, missing and injured tallies, evacuation numbers |
| European public broadcasters and outletsEurope | European coverage split between straightforward casualty reporting on India's floods and coverage centered on the situation of displaced women and children in temporary shelters in Nepal, including concerns about safety, privacy and trafficking risk.41014 | death tolls, displacement, safety and privacy concerns, trafficking risk |
| Middle Eastern outlets on Nepal's multi-hazard impactMiddle East & Turkey | Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency emphasized the multiplicity of disaster types hitting Nepal simultaneously (floods, landslides, avalanche) and infrastructure disruption from blocked roads.515 | multiple disaster types, infrastructure disruption, avalanche and missing workers |
| Middle Eastern outlets on India's death tollMiddle East & Turkey | Arab News reported on India's death toll from flooding, citing a figure of at least 62 killed.11 | casualty figures, rescue and evacuation |
| State-controlled outlets (Russia, Turkey, Indonesia)Russia & Eurasia | Russian state media (TASS) focused on India's casualty and housing-damage figures; Indonesian state media (Antara) republished a People's Daily report linking Nepal's mudslide to a broader climate-disaster narrative; Turkish state media (Anadolu) emphasized infrastructure impact from blocked roads in Nepal.31315 | casualty and damage figures, climate disaster framing, infrastructure impact |
| East Asian and Oceania outletsEast Asia | Outlets from Japan, Taiwan and Australia focused on the human aftermath a month after the floods, including visual documentation, a rescued worker's recovery, and a family's ongoing search for a missing person, rather than fresh casualty figures.296 | long-term aftermath, personal stories, recovery and search efforts |
What the coverage leaves out
- None of the outlets reviewed reconciled the differing death toll figures for Nepal or explained why counts varied so widely between reports from similar dates.
- None of the outlets reviewed provided an updated count of the 12 missing avalanche workers.
- None of the outlets reviewed detailed the government of India's or Nepal's official response or relief operations beyond evacuations and road clearance efforts.
- None of the outlets reviewed provided detail on the scale or outcome of the relocation plans for high-risk settlements mentioned by Nepal's disaster authorities.
Why it matters
The Uttar Pradesh flooding occurred during India's June to September monsoon season, when the state is frequently affected by heavy rain and thunderstorms.10
According to the Kathmandu Post and Dawn, the fresh wave of flooding and landslides in Nepal came about a month after an earlier, larger flood disaster in the Bhotekoshi area, prompting authorities to consider longer-term measures such as relocating settlements in high-risk zones.71920
What to watch
- Nepal's disaster authorities' assessment of damage and decisions on relocating settlements in high-risk areas, as referenced by the Kathmandu Post.
- The search for missing persons in Nepal, including the 12 workers reported missing after the avalanche and other individuals still unaccounted for a month after the floods.
Sources (20)
Every outlet we drew on, grouped by where it is based. Read the originals for the full reporting.
Europe
- 4Deutsche WelleDEPublic broadcaster
- 10France 24FRPublic broadcaster
- 14EuronewsFRPrivate
At least 62 killed after heavy rain and flooding in northern India, officials say
Russia & Eurasia
- 3TASSRUState-controlled
Middle East & Turkey
- 5Al Jazeera EnglishQAState-controlled
- 11Arab NewsSAPrivate
- 15Anadolu AgencyTRState-controlled
Heavy rain, landslides shut major roads across 25 districts in Nepal
Africa
- 1SABC NewsZAPublic broadcaster
Floods, landslides kill 15 in India, four in Nepal as rivers rise
South Asia
- 7The Kathmandu PostNPPrivate
NDRRMA Chief Upreti on what Nepal must change after the Bhotekoshi disaster
- 12The HinduINPrivate
27 killed across Nepal due to incessant rainfall since September 24: Authorities
- 16The Express TribunePKPrivate
- 18NDTVINPrivate
Video: Screams Heard As Part Of Nepal Mountain Crumbles Into River In Seconds
- 19The Times of IndiaINPrivate
Nepal battered by severe rain: 21 dead, 5 missing as floods, landslides worsen
- 20DawnPKPrivate
Floods and landslides kill 56 in India's Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Nepal over past three days
East Asia
- 2Taipei TimesTWPrivate
- 9Nikkei AsiaJPPrivate
Southeast Asia
- 8Malay MailMYPrivate
India’s Uttar Pradesh reels from heavy rains and floods that leave 81 dead
- 13AntaraIDState-controlled
Tackling climate disasters together, safeguarding our shared future
- 17CNASGState-controlled
Oceania
- 6ABC News (Australia)AUPublic broadcaster
A month after Nepal's floods, husband still hopes his wife can be found