A massive flash flood struck Rasuwa district early Wednesday, damaging settlements and infrastructure along the Bhotekoshi river and prompting a major search-and-rescue operation. Here is what we know so far:

What happened, and where?

A flash flood swept through the Bhotekoshi river in northern Nepal early Wednesday.

The flood caused extensive damage in Rasuwa district, particularly along settlements bordering the river. Chameli Gurung, deputy chair of Uttargaya Rural Municipality, said around a dozen settlements had been affected, including Syaphrubesi, Betrawati, Mailung, Salletar, Shantibazar, Pairebesi, Khalti Basti, Sole, Trishuli and Battar.

What is known about the damage?

Authorities have yet to release a confirmed toll of deaths, injuries or property damage.

But preliminary information from local officials, residents and security agencies, along with photographs and videos from the affected areas, points to significant destruction. Market areas, particularly Syaphrubesi, appear to have suffered some of the heaviest damage.

Nine Armed Police Force personnel deployed in Timure, near the Nepal-China border, have been reported missing after the flood reached the area at around 9am.

Abi Narayan Kafle, spokesperson for Nepal Police, said the Area Police Office in Timure, the police post in Syaphrubesi and the police post at Rasuwagadhi had also been damaged.

What is the government doing?

The government has deployed two Nepali Army helicopters for search and rescue operations. An emergency meeting is under way at the Home Ministry.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has also called a meeting to discuss the flooding and the government response.

Authorities have urged residents along the Trishuli river to move to safer areas as the flood moves downstream.

The government has mobilised the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police for rescue and relief operations, with additional personnel being sent from other districts, Shah said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority has been activated, while medical teams, Scouts and the Red Cross have been asked to coordinate relief efforts. More ambulances and medical personnel are also being deployed.

How far has the flood travelled?

Nepal's Flood Forecasting Division said the flood entered the Bhotekoshi from the Tibet side of the border and had reached the Galchhi area of Dhading by Wednesday afternoon.

The flood was expected to pass Muglin within hours. Authorities urged people living along the Trishuli river to leave vulnerable settlements and market areas and move to higher ground.

Officials also warned of possible disruption along the Prithvi Highway and the Muglin-Narayanghat road.

What remains unclear?

Several key details remain unknown.

Authorities have not established the exact time the flood began or confirmed what triggered it. The full extent of damage in Syaphrubesi and Timure, among the worst-hit areas, is still unclear. Reports indicate extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure, but there is no confirmed information yet on casualties.

Sanjeev Adhikari, a meteorologist with the Flood Forecasting Division, said the flooding did not appear to have been caused by heavy rainfall in Rasuwa itself.

Satellite imagery showed significant rainfall on the Tibetan side of the border, he told Kantipur.