Devastating flash floods have struck Nepal, killing around 600 people and leaving more than 2,400 unaccounted for, as satellite imagery revealed the scale of the destruction. Entire communities were inundated, with roads, bridges and homes swept away.
The floods followed intense monsoon rainfall that overwhelmed rivers and triggered landslides. Rescue teams have struggled to reach cut-off villages, where collapsed infrastructure has slowed aid and the search for survivors.
Nepal’s government has mobilised security forces and emergency workers, while neighbouring countries and international agencies signalled readiness to help. Aid organisations warned the toll may rise.
The disaster renewed concern about the vulnerability of Himalayan communities to increasingly erratic monsoon patterns linked to a warming climate, with unregulated construction compounding the risk.
The tragedy drew solidarity from across Asia and beyond, and fresh attention to the human cost of extreme weather in a warming era.
