Shushma Bhusal, regional lead for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, describes devastating floods in Nepal's Bidur municipality after a collapsed glacier unleashed a torrent of water, mud, and debris on Aug. 26. The disaster has imperiled the health of tens of thousands of people due to damaged infrastructure, disrupted care, and lack of access to hospitals, with at least seven destroyed or damaged. So far, aid organizations have distributed basic items to around 19,000 people and set up medical tents to provide prenatal care, but people with chronic conditions are particularly vulnerable as they struggle to obtain medication and manage their health in the crisis.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
At least 273 people have been killed and over 1,300 are missing after catastrophic floods hit the Nepal-Tibet border, with 25 Canadians among the missing, according to reports. The disaster was triggered by a collapsed glacier in the Himalayas, which sent a massive amount of water rushing through the valleys below. The flooding caused widespread destruction, including the collapse of buildings and bridges, and has left many people displaced.
Initial estimates put the death toll at 177, but it has since risen to 273. The floods were so powerful that they registered a magnitude of 5.2 on the US Geological Survey's scale, making them one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent memory. Rescue teams are still searching for hundreds of missing people along the Nepal-China border.
The collapsed glacier was likely caused by rapidly melting Himalayan ice, which is becoming an increasingly serious issue due to climate change. Scientists say that the glacier collapse was so powerful that it sent a massive amount of water rushing through the valleys below, causing widespread destruction and loss of life.
The disaster has left many people displaced and has highlighted the need for better monitoring and early warning systems in the region. The incident also highlights the risks faced by tourists and pilgrims who travel to the area, with hundreds reported missing or dead.
Written for “Nepal Tibet Flood Disaster” on 2026-09-05,
grounded in this article and the 74 other(s) covering the same event.
'The health system in Nepal is not prepared for this'
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system → prepare → this
"There's nothing left there," says Shushma Bhusal, the regional lead for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
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A lot of houses have just been washed off."
Bhusal is describing parts of Bidur municipality after the flood.
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Before disaster struck, it was a bustling place, home to about 60,000 people.
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Hundreds of homes and businesses hugged the Trishuli River, which cuts a winding path through the Nepali Himalayas.
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which → hug → Himalayas
Now Bhusal sees only devastation.
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Across the river, Trishuli hospital served the larger region.
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But the bridge to get there was destroyed by the enormous torrent of water, mud and debris unleashed by a collapsed glacier on Aug. 26.
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"The time taken to cross the bridge in normal times was just 10 minutes," says Bhusal.
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"Now it takes about 10 hours for people to go and walk through the trail and get to the other side of the river.
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It leaves the people here in Bidur out of access to health services.
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It's a situation playing out across communities along the river, imperiling the physical and mental health of tens of thousands.
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"It's an unbelievable disaster," says Padam Simkhada, a global health researcher from the area who is now at the University of Chester.
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"The health system in Nepal is not prepared for this.
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"
Damaged infrastructure, disrupted care
The floods killed at least 1,200 people in Nepal and neighboring Tibet, according to authorities.
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The disaster also completely destroyed or damaged at least seven hospitals and health centers, says Allison Gocotano, the World Health Organization representative to Nepal.
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While some hospitals remain functional, "access remains hindered because of the road blockages," he says.
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The damage is making it harder to care for those injured by the floods.
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It's also disrupting routine medical care.
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"We know in the community there are pregnant women who have delivery dates in the next few weeks," says Abhilasha Gurung, a health specialist with UNICEF in Nepal.
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The aid organization is in the process of setting up medical tents to provide that basic care.
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She says they've also distributed basic items, including hygiene kits and bed nets to protect against mosquitoes, to 19,000 people.
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People with chronic conditions requiring medication, like diabetes, hypertension or cancer, are especially vulnerable in crises like these, says Simkhada.
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"Even if they survive because they ran away, they lost their medication.
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Even if there is another supply, they don't know [the] dosage," he says.
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"People who already have chronic conditions even become worse."
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who → have → conditions
As health officials scramble to shore up this basic medical care, they're also on the lookout for new threats.
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Clean water is hard to come by, as the floods contaminated water systems and damaged infrastructure.
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That's raising fear of waterborne diseases, says Simkhada.
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"There is a high risk of an epidemic that could be cholera, diarrheal disease.
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Thousands of survivors are being relocated into cramped temporary shelters where airborne diseases like tuberculosis could spread.
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The Ministry of Health has deployed technical staff to help beef up surveillance in these centers, says Gocotano, the WHO official.
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"The dead are gone, I am the one alive"
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The devastating floods have also left a mental health crisis.
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Roughly 2,500 to 3,000 people are currently in temporary holding centers, including everyone rescued from the floods, says UNICEF's Gurung.
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Many are grappling with profound loss.
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Ayush Joshi, who works for the non-profit Save the Children in Nepal, visited one such center in Nuwakot earlier this week.
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His visit was often interrupted by the sound of helicopters overhead, searching for survivors.
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"Whenever a helicopter passed by, you would see children in these holding centers looking up in the sky," he says.
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"Not just one child, it's like every child, they just look up."
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…and 14 more, not listed.
