Nepal

By Sabiu Abdullahi

At least 95 people have died after a flash flood swept through parts of Nepal near the border with Tibet, destroying homes, roads, bridges and power infrastructure, according to Nepalese authorities.

Police spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle said 28 police officers were among those reported missing. Authorities also said 384 tourists, including 291 foreigners from countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, India and Malaysia, were missing after the disaster.

“So far 95 deaths have been reported,” Kafle said.

The disaster also affected areas across the border in Tibet, where Chinese authorities reported at least three deaths and 265 missing people in Gyirong county. State broadcaster CCTV said the figures were still being verified.

Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah called for unity as rescue operations continued.

“Please be patient. The government takes full responsibility for your rescue, treatment, food and shelter. In times of such a disaster, we all need to stand together,” Shah said in a statement shared on social media.

Authorities said the floodwaters were too high for helicopters to land in Syapru Besi and Timure, in the mountainous Rasuwa district, which has a population of about 50,000.

District administrator Narendra Pariyar urged residents living along the Bhote Koshi River to move to higher ground after reports that villages and infrastructure project sites had been swept away.

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

In Tibet, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported “major casualties” and missing people after a mudslide struck a border crossing between China and Nepal. The incident at Gyirong port disrupted roads, communications and electricity supplies in the Shigatse region.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered “all-out” efforts to locate missing people and called for stronger monitoring and early warning systems to reduce the risk of further disasters.

Prayash Adhikari, a climate justice activist in Nepal, described the flooding as “devastating” and said it had destroyed “whole villages”.

“Hundreds of people are missing,” Adhikari told Al Jazeera from Kathmandu, adding that buildings, schools, bridges and highways had also been destroyed.

The flooding also prompted authorities in India’s Bihar state to begin evacuations in six districts amid concerns that floodwaters could spread into the area.

Videos released by Nepal Police and other sources showed large volumes of muddy water rushing through mountain valleys. Kosh Raj Koirala, an editor of Republica Daily, said many residents were caught by surprise because there had been no heavy rainfall before the flash flood.

“[People] were at home … several houses have been washed away, swept away by the river,” Koirala told Al Jazeera.

Prime Minister Shah also held an emergency meeting with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority to assess the impact of the disaster.

“Work has started to take necessary steps in coordination with the medical team, scouts, and Red Cross,” Shah said in a social media post.

The Nepal Army deployed helicopters and disaster response personnel to affected locations as rescue and assessment efforts continued.

“The work of collecting details of the damage is under way,” the army said in a statement.

The Nepal Electricity Authority said about 430 megawatts of electricity generation capacity from hydropower and solar facilities had been affected.

“The disaster has damaged the production, transmission and distribution facilities of the Authority … resulting in disruption of electricity supply,” it said.

Eight South Korean workers employed at a hydropower project were also reported missing, while another 10 were stranded, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry said Nepal had sent a rescue team to the area. South Korea has also formed a task force led by its foreign minister and plans to send a rapid-response team made up of government officials, firefighters and police personnel.

Avalanche Suspected In Flood

The immediate cause of the flash flood remained unclear. Climate experts at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development in Nepal said an avalanche from a glacier was likely responsible.

According to the experts, the Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River, experienced severe flooding on Wednesday.

“The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 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.

Adhikari said stronger early warning systems could help reduce the impact of such disasters.

“This can’t be completely turned around because we are on the verge of climate catastrophe, but still we can protect our communities,” he said.

The Bhote Koshi River begins in Tibet before flowing into Nepal’s Trishuli River, which later enters India as the Gandak River.

A similar flood in the Bhote Koshi River last year killed nine people and left 24 missing. It also destroyed the Friendship Bridge between Nepal and China, disrupting transportation and trade for several months.

The earlier flood was linked to the sudden release of water from a supraglacial lake in Tibet, according to a regional climate monitoring organisation.

Floods and landslides are common across South Asia during the June-to-September monsoon season. Scientists have warned that climate change is contributing to more frequent and severe extreme weather events in the region.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Nepal’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Sushila Karki, has pledged to act on the demands of young protesters who pushed for change after weeks of demonstrations toppled the previous government.

“We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” Karki declared on Sunday in her first remarks since taking office. “What this group is demanding is the end of corruption, good governance and economic equality. You and I have to be determined to fulfil that.”

Karki, a 73-year-old former chief justice known for her independence, assumed office on Friday following negotiations involving army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel and President Ram Chandra Paudel.

Representatives of the youth-led “Gen Z” movement were also part of the talks.Her appointment followed mass protests that shook the Himalayan nation.

The unrest, described as the most violent since the abolition of the monarchy in 2008, left at least 72 people dead and 191 others injured, according to Chief Secretary Eaknarayan Aryal.

The demonstrations escalated on Tuesday when several government buildings in the Singha Durbar complex were set on fire.

On Sunday, Karki observed a minute’s silence in memory of those killed before beginning meetings in the damaged government compound.

Thousands of young activists, who coordinated their movement through the Discord app, had put forward her name as their preferred candidate for prime minister.

“The situation that I have come into, I have not wished to come here. My name was brought from the streets,” she admitted.

Following her appointment, parliament was dissolved and elections scheduled for March 5, 2026. In a national address, Karki assured citizens that her role would be temporary.

“We will not stay here more than six months in any situation; we will complete our responsibilities and pledge to hand over to the next parliament and ministers,” she said. “This is not possible without your support.”

President Paudel, who administered her oath of office, acknowledged the complexity of the crisis. He described it as a “very difficult, complicated, and grave situation” and urged citizens to rally behind the interim government.

“A peaceful solution has been found through a difficult process,” he noted, while appealing to the public to ensure the success of the upcoming elections.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Families mourning loved ones killed during Nepal’s anti-corruption protests say they want their sacrifices to bring lasting change, as the interim prime minister chosen by demonstrators was sworn in on Saturday.

One of the victims was 30-year-old Santosh Bishwakarma, who was among at least 51 people killed during two days of violent clashes this week.

The unrest has been described as the most serious since Nepal ended its decade-long civil war and abolished the monarchy in 2008.

His widow, Amika, also 30, tearfully remembered his lifelong wish.

She said his “ultimate dream” was to “die having contributed to the nation.”

Santosh lost his life on Monday when security forces opened fire during the first wave of protests organized by the youth-led “Gen Z” movement.

Amika explained that her late husband often insisted he “wouldn’t die like a dog.”

Holding a framed photo of him inside their modest Kathmandu home, she said, “His dream was to make Nepal known to the world — and he did.”

The protests erupted after authorities imposed a temporary social media ban, a move that fueled widespread anger over corruption and economic hardship.

Following the violence, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, 73, stepped down on Tuesday, ending his fourth term after parliament was set ablaze by demonstrators.

On Friday, former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn in to lead a six-month interim government before elections.

Thousands of young activists had reportedly used the app Discord to deliberate on leadership options and put Karki forward as their preferred candidate.

Amika, now left to care for her 10-year-old son Ujwal and seven-year-old daughter Sonia, expressed her fears for the future.

“My husband would have done everything to fulfil their dreams, even at the cost of his life,” she said. “But how am I supposed to manage everything on my own? He sacrificed his life for the country, and I hope the new government will help me.”

A family friend, Solan Rai, 42, said he believed the demonstrations marked a significant moment for the country. “I hope we finally see real change this time,” he said, noting that the anger was “more intense than anything we’ve seen before.”

Nepal remains one of the poorest nations in Asia, with the World Bank reporting that 82 percent of its workforce is in informal employment.

The country’s GDP per capita is just $1,447.

On Friday, hundreds gathered at Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath temple for mass cremations. Families wept over victims of the clashes, many of them young men.

Among the mourners was Ratna Maharjan, who broke down while grieving for her son. “I hope there is some justice — and our people finally get the change they so desperately seek,” she said.

In one heartbreaking scene, a mother refused to part with her son’s body, wrapped in a shroud, clinging to him on the temple steps.

Not far away, police officers placed garlands of marigolds on the body of a fallen colleague while a bugler played.

Amika summed up her appeal in simple terms: “What we seek isn’t too much to ask — just equality. So the rich don’t thrive while the poor languish.”