Rasuwa–Bhotekoshi Floods: Current Travel Information

Nepal continues to respond to the major flood disaster along the Bhote Koshi–Upper Trishuli river corridor in Rasuwa, while life and travel continue across most of the rest of the country.

Here is the situation as we understand it today.

RASUWA | Rescue, recovery and relief continue

Search and rescue operations continue in the flood-affected Bhote Koshi–Upper Trishuli corridor, including the difficult work around hydropower projects and tunnels.

At the same time, a significant part of the response has now moved into relief and recovery.

Government agencies, security forces, local governments, community organisations and numerous citizen-led groups are actively working to get food, medicine and essential supplies to affected mountain communities. Access remains difficult in several places, and multiple groups are working on different ways to move relief further up the corridor.

The scale of the destruction within this corridor is significant, and recovery will take time.

It is equally important to keep the geography in perspective: this disaster remains concentrated along one difficult river corridor. It is not a disaster affecting all of Nepal.

MANASLU | Local communities rebuild washed-out bridges

There was encouraging news from the Manaslu Circuit yesterday.

Two bridges near Namrung had been washed away after the Budi Gandaki rose with heavy monsoon rain. Within just two days, local communities had rebuilt the crossings using traditional timber construction techniques.

There is an important story behind this. Nepal’s trekking trails were not built primarily for trekkers. They are the everyday lifelines connecting mountain villages — used to reach homes, farms, schools, markets and neighbouring communities. When a bridge disappears, local people need it back too.

Traditional knowledge still exists in these communities, and in this case people were able to put it to work immediately.

UPPER MUSTANG | Earthquake near Lo Manthang

At 9:53 pm on 8 September, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Mustang, with its epicentral area around Lo Manthang Nepal lies in a seismically active region, so earthquakes are part of the country’s geological reality.

NepalNOW spent much of today checking directly with people in Upper Mustang to understand what the earthquake actually means on the ground.

Access to Upper Mustang has not been reported as disrupted. Jomsom, Kagbeni and Muktinath continue to function, and access towards Lo Manthang remains possible.

There has, however, been cracking and some damage to old traditional buildings and monasteries around Lo Manthang.

This requires some context.

Upper Mustang contains many old mud-and-stone structures. Architects involved in restoration work in Lo Manthang tell us that numerous traditional houses are now abandoned or insufficiently maintained. These structures can be particularly vulnerable even to relatively moderate seismic movement.

There is an additional challenge. Upper Mustang has traditionally been a very dry rain-shadow region, but changing rainfall patterns are bringing more moisture into the area. Rain can further weaken abandoned or poorly maintained mud-and-stone buildings.

Assessments of heritage structures therefore remain important.

We have also received photographs taken in Lo Manthang today to help show conditions on the ground.

Scenes from Lo Manthang, this morning. Photo credit: Wangyal Gurung

GEN Z | One year since the protests

8 September also marked the first anniversary of the Gen Z protests of 2025 that brought enormous political change to Nepal.

The anniversary was observed as a national public holiday, remembering those who lost their lives and the demands for accountability, better governance and change that drove the movement.

It was another significant moment in what has been an extraordinary year for Nepal.

ELSEWHERE IN NEPAL | Visitors are showing us their NepalNOW

While rescue, relief and recovery continue in Rasuwa, travellers are currently trekking, cycling, walking through cities, visiting heritage sites, meeting communities, exploring national parks and simply enjoying their journeys across many other parts of Nepal.

And increasingly, they are helping tell that story themselves.

Visitors currently travelling in Nepal are participating in the I AM IN NEPALNOW campaign — sharing photographs and short stories showing what they are actually doing and experiencing in Nepal right now.

These are not promotional photographs taken months ago.

They are visitors who are in Nepal now.

Their stories help provide something extremely valuable during a crisis: perspective.

A major disaster can be real and devastating in one part of a country while normal life continues elsewhere. Both things can be true at the same time.

We will continue sharing these stories through NepalNOW on social media @nepalnow.travel

WHY NEPALNOW EXISTS

NepalNOW was first created following the 2015 earthquake for exactly this reason.

In a crisis, dramatic images travel much faster than geography or context.

Our job is not to minimise what has happened.

Our job is to help people understand what has happened, where it has happened, what is being done about it, and what is happening elsewhere in Nepal.

Today that means:

Rasuwa: rescue, relief and recovery continue.

Manaslu: local communities are already restoring important trail connections.

Upper Mustang: earthquake-related damage to some traditional structures is being assessed, while access remains intact.

Across much of the rest of Nepal: communities are going about their lives and visitors continue their journeys.

Nepal is responding. Nepal will rebuild and recover.

And we will continue to provide verified, locally sourced updates as the situation develops.

#NepalNOW | Accurate information. Local context. Nepal as it is, now.