Guwahati: Severe flash floods triggered by a surge in the Bhotekoshi River have disrupted around 430 megawatts (MW) of electricity generation and supply capacity in Nepal, affecting more than 12 per cent of the country’s installed hydropower capacity.
Nepal’s Energy Ministry said the damage was largely linked to hydropower projects hit by the floods. The country has an installed hydropower capacity of around 3.2 gigawatts.
The flooding has also caused extensive destruction in areas near the Tibetan border, with at least 100 people reportedly killed and hundreds still missing. Homes, roads, bridges and infrastructure linked to hydropower projects were damaged or swept away.
The Nepal Electricity Authority said production, transmission and distribution facilities had been damaged, resulting in interruptions to electricity supplies.
The disruption is significant for Nepal, which relies heavily on hydropower and has expanded electricity generation through projects along its mountainous river systems.
The Bhotekoshi River rose sharply around 9 am on Wednesday, sending mud, rocks and debris through several settlements. District administrator Narendra Pariyar said entire villages and project sites were washed away by the floodwaters.
Authorities have advised residents living close to the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers to move to safer locations amid concerns over further flooding.
Images from Nuwakot district showed buildings covered in thick layers of mud, with some structures reportedly buried up to the second floor. Vehicles were also buried, while debris became lodged in trees and power lines.
Experts from the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said an avalanche originating from a glacier may have triggered the sudden flooding.
The disaster also affected areas across the border in Tibet. China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported that a mudslide in Gyirong County killed at least three people and left 265 others missing. Drone footage showed roads destroyed and buildings buried under mud and debris.
The latest disaster has renewed concerns over the increasing frequency of extreme weather events across the Hindu Kush Himalayas.
The region, which spans several countries including Nepal, China and India, has experienced growing risks from intense rainfall, flash floods, landslides, glacier melt and glacial lake-related disasters.
Scientists have warned that rising temperatures are contributing to changes in the region’s mountain environment and increasing the risks associated with extreme weather events.
In August 2025, an overflowing glacial lake in Tibet amid high temperatures killed nine people and damaged key infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China.