Elephants Swept Into Floodwaters as Nepal Disaster Sends Herd Fighting to Stay Afloat in UP

Flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border have killed more than 150 people. A herd of elephants was swept into Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich area.

A catastrophic wall of mud, water, and debris swept through areas along the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday, August 26, leaving a trail of death and destruction. The flash flood ravaged settlements, roads, and infrastructure, leaving more than 150 people dead while hundreds remain missing.

Amid the devastation, a video showing a herd of elephants struggling in floodwaters has surfaced on social media. The clip, reportedly from the flood-affected region near the Nepal-India border, showed several elephants trapped in a water body, desperately trying to keep their heads above the surface.

Forest Department teams are trying to rescue the elephants swept into the Ghaghara River

In the video posted on X, a man said the elephants were swept from Nepal towards the Kailashpuri barrage area in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich. He said there were four to five elephants in the water and that rescue teams were attempting to bring them to safety.

Unos elefantes sobrevivieron la inundacion de nepal y llegaron flotando hasta la represa del río karnali (la india) pic.twitter.com/Ek0vEjbGER

— ElBuni (@therealbuni) August 26, 2026

The elephants were swept away after floodwaters travelling from Nepal entered the Karnali river, also known as the Ghaghara River, in Uttar Pradesh. Forest Department teams are carrying out rescue and rehabilitation operations as authorities assess the damage and work to locate the animals.

The incident has sparked concern online, with people expressing anguish over the plight of the elephants. Many pointed out that while the disaster has taken a toll on humans, wildlife too has been caught in the path of the floodwaters.

"It is often forgotten that in this kind of tragedy, animals also suffer," said a user.

The rescue operation for the elephants continues. The death toll is expected to rise.