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{{Short description|2026 flooding in Nepal}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2026}}
{{Infobox event
| name = 2026 Nepal floods
| image = 2026 Nepal floods.gif
| image_caption = Flood hitting the Gyirong Port crossing on the [[China–Nepal border]]
| date = {{start date|2026|08|26|df=y}}
| location = {{ubl
|[[Rasuwa District]] and [[Nuwakot District]], Nepal
|[[Gyirong County]], [[Tibet Autonomous Region]], China
}}
| type = [[Flash flood]]
| deaths = 175+{{efn|{{hlist|165 in Nepal|3 in China<ref name="162 dead" />}}}} 
| missing = 1,384+{{efn|{{hlist|826 in Nepal|558 in China<ref name="162 dead" />}}}} 
| cause = Glacier collapse or icefall (initial reports)
| property_damage = [[Hydropower]] facilities, houses, bridges, roads, dams, businesses, and government offices
}}
On the morning of 26 August 2026, a series of [[Flash flood|flash floods]] along the [[Trishuli River]]{{efn|The Trishuli River's upper section in Nepal is also known as the Bhotekoshi River; a larger river 65 km to the east, also named [[Bhotekoshi River| Bhotekoshi]], was unaffected.}} struck dozens of settlements in Nepal's [[Rasuwa District|Rasuwa]] and [[Nuwakot District|Nuwakot]] districts. The floods also affected the [[Gyirong Port]] area on the [[China–Nepal border]], an important gateway for cross-border trade and tourism. The flash floods and [[Mudflow|mudslides]] caused massive damage to populated areas, with officials reporting at least 162 confirmed deaths in Nepal and 3 in China. Authorities have issued flood warnings for communities along rivers in the Rasuwa, Nuwakot, [[Dhading District|Dhading]], [[Gorkha District|Gorkha]], and [[Chitwan District|Chitwan]] districts.

== Background ==
[[File:River in Rasuwa.JPG|thumb|left|Bhotekoshi River (left) and the Lhende Khola River (right); the Miteri border bridge is under construction (2013)]]

The Trishuli (also known on this stretch as Bhotekoshi) is joined by the Lhende Khola (also known as Lende River), which originates in [[Gyirong County]], [[Tibet Autonomous Region]], China, before flowing past [[Dhunche]], downstream from which it forms part of the [[Trishuli River]] system.<ref>{{cite news|date=26 August 2026|title=रसुवामा भीषण बाढी, मुग्लिङसम्म सतर्कता|url=https://www.bbc.com/nepali/articles/c3wjp107jy9o|trans-title=Heavy flood in Rasuwa, alert up to Muglin |language=ne|publisher=BBC|access-date=26 August 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260827045156/https://www.bbc.com/nepali/articles/c3wjp107jy9o|archive-date=27 August 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tourist board says 33 UK nationals missing after Nepal-Tibet flash floods |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnvlde5075no |website=www.bbc.com |access-date=27 August 2026 |date=27 August 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260827053510/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnvlde5075no|archive-date=27 August 2026|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Cause==
Authorities have not yet established a definite cause for the flood. Nepal's foreign minister [[Shisir Khanal]] said initial assessments determined that an [[earthquake]] triggered an [[avalanche]] which caused the flooding.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flash flood hits Rasuwa, damages hydropower projects and markets |url=https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/08/26/major-flood-damages-syabrubesi-hydropower-projects-in-rasuwa |access-date=2026-08-26 |website=The Kathmandu Post |language=English|date=26 August 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260827045338/https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/08/26/major-flood-damages-syabrubesi-hydropower-projects-in-rasuwa|archive-date=27 August 2026}}</ref> Nepalese officials initially believed the Lhende Khola may have been blocked by an avalanche in Nepal, forming a [[glacier lake]]. The trapped water would then have been released when the avalanche debris forming a dam collapsed, possibly due to an earthquake.<ref name="kathmandupost">{{Cite web |title=Ice avalanche, debris lake may have triggered Bhotekoshi flood |url=https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/08/26/ice-avalanche-debris-lake-may-have-triggered-bhotekoshi-flood |access-date=2026-08-26 |website=The Kathmandu Post |language=English|date=26 August 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260827053516/https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/08/26/ice-avalanche-debris-lake-may-have-triggered-bhotekoshi-flood|archive-date=27 August 2026|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=What triggered the catastrophic flood on the Nepal-Tibet border? |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/what-triggered-catastrophic-flood-nepal-tibet-border-2026-08-26/ |access-date=26 August 2026 |date=26 August 2026|work=Reuters|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260827053605/https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/what-triggered-catastrophic-flood-nepal-tibet-border-2026-08-26/|archive-date=27 August 2026}}</ref> A [[glacial lake outburst flood]] may also have been involved.<ref name="kathmandupost"/> A spokesperson for the [[International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development]] said an avalanche occurred in the Lhende Khola River after an earthquake which caused the flood.<ref name="162 dead" />

The [[United States Geological Survey]]'s analysis of long-period [[seismic wave]]s demonstrated, however, that they were consistent with a landslide, not an earthquake.<ref>{{cite news | title = Nepal flash floods: Increasing death toll, many missing; rescuers search for survivors – Live Updates | url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/nepal-flash-floods-increasing-death-toll-many-missing-rescuers-search-for-survivors-live-updates-august-27-2026/article71394802.ece | work = The Hindu | date = 27 August 2026 | access-date = 27 August 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260827054015/https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/nepal-flash-floods-increasing-death-toll-many-missing-rescuers-search-for-survivors-live-updates-august-27-2026/article71394802.ece|archive-date=27 August 2026|url-status=live}}</ref> This event measured {{M|s|5.2|link=[[Richter scale]]}}, struck at 02:52 [[UTC]] (08:37 [[Nepal Standard Time|NPT]]; 10:52 [[China Standard Time|CST]]), and was centered between [[Langtang Lirung]] and [[Langtang National Park]].<ref>{{cite anss|M 5.2 Landslide - 55 km NW of Kodāri̇̄, Nepal|2026|us7000tbwb|access-date=26 August 2026}}</ref> Such was the cataclysmic scale and speed of the flash flood that the leading hypothesis of [[geomorphology|geomorphologists]] is that the collapsed portion of a glacier fell hundreds of feet, melting the ice by the sheer velocity of the impact, with the resulting initial flood causing water displacement downwards.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/foreign-tourists-among-hundreds-missing-after-flash-floods-in-nepal-and-tibet-39e73ce7|title=Hundreds Missing, 157 Dead, as Likely Ice-Rock Cascade Triggers Floods in Nepal and Tibet|first1=Tripti|last1=Lahiri|first2=Krishna|last2=Pokharel|date=26 August 2026|publisher= The Wall Street Journal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260827054241/https://www.wsj.com/world/asia/foreign-tourists-among-hundreds-missing-after-flash-floods-in-nepal-and-tibet-39e73ce7|archive-date=27 August 2026|url-status=live}}</ref>

There were indications of heavy water flow almost immediately after the seismic waves were detected. The combination of the two near-simultaneous signals, and review of the first satellite imagery, led researchers to conclude that an [[ice avalanche]] of a portion of a glacier measuring {{Convert|2000|ft}} in width may have fallen {{Convert|4000|ft}}, and that it was this break some {{Convert|40|mi}} north of [[Kathmandu]] that may have been responsible for triggering the flooding.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sands |first=Leo |date=26 August 2026 |title=Deadly Nepal Flood May Have Been Caused by 'Ice Avalanche,' Scientists Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/26/world/asia/nepal-flood-glacier-ice-avalanche.html |access-date=26 August 2026 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |quote=The deadly flooding in Nepal on Wednesday was likely set off at least in part by an enormous chunk of ice snapping off a glacier and cascading thousands of feet to the valley below, according to an initial assessment by a group of geologists and glaciologists. The phenomenon is known as an ice avalanche.... On Wednesday, a chunk of ice with a width of about 2,000 feet snapped cleanly off the glacier, Dr. Shugar said, sending a mixture of ice and water to the valley floor. By his assessment, the chunk of ice fell from an altitude of around 17,000 feet, dropping almost 4,000 feet.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260827054345/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/26/world/asia/nepal-flood-glacier-ice-avalanche.html|archive-date=27 August 2026|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences]] recorded a magnitude 4.4 event approximately seven minutes before [[timestamp]]ed [[CCTV]] footage showed the flood reaching the Gyirong Port.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-08-26 |title=Hunderte Einheimische und Touristen nach Sturzflut in Nepal vermisst |trans-title=Hundreds of Locals and Tourists Missing After Flash Flood in Nepal |url=https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/nepal-hunderte-touristen-nach-sturzflut-vermisst-a-31da589a-af62-4b2b-982f-e7cb635e6456 |access-date=2026-08-27 |work=Der Spiegel |language=de |issn=2195-1349|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260827054528/https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/nepal-hunderte-touristen-nach-sturzflut-vermisst-a-31da589a-af62-4b2b-982f-e7cb635e6456|archive-date=27 August 2026|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Corp |first=Pelmorex |date=2026-08-26 |title=Devastating flash flood on Nepal-Tibet border kills nine, hundreds of tourists missing |url=https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/weather/severe/devastating-flash-flood-on-nepal-tibet-border |access-date=2026-08-27 |website=The Weather Network |language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Casualties==
{{Multiple image
| image1 = Mudslide at Gyirong Port 1.webm
| image2 = Mudslide at Gyirong Port 2.webm
| footer = [[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] footage showing floodwater destroying the Gyirong Port
}}
At least 162 deaths were confirmed in Nepal, with 826 people reported missing.<ref name="162 dead">{{Cite news |date=2026-08-26 |title=More than 1,300 are missing in Nepal and Tibet after catastrophic floods caused by glacial collapse |url=https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-nepal-tibet-glacier-collapse-floods-61b592d428e4631add31ce052d0daf1f |access-date=2026-08-26 |publisher=|work=[[Associated Press]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260827043057/https://apnews.com/article/climate-change-nepal-tibet-glacier-collapse-floods-61b592d428e4631add31ce052d0daf1f|archive-date=27 August 2026|url-status=live}}</ref> 579 tourists were reported missing, including 466 foreigners from 28 countries.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/26/britons-missing-nepal-flash-floods/|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|title=Girl, 13, among dozens of Britons missing in Nepal flash floods|date=26 August 2026|access-date=26 August 2026}}</ref> At least 105 Indians and 37 [[Indian diaspora|non-resident Indians]] were reported missing.<ref name="indiatoday26a" /> Australia's foreign minister said at least 34 of the missing were pilgrims.<ref name="162 dead" /> At least 55 Malaysians, 47 American, 34 Australian, 33 British, and 24 Canadian tourists were among the missing.<ref name="162 dead" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Sharma |first=Gopal |last2=Bajracharya |first2=Sahana |last3=Chitrakar |first3=Navesh |date=26 August 2026 |title=Rescuers search for survivors after devastating Nepal flood |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/rescuers-search-survivors-after-devastating-nepal-flood-2026-08-27/ |access-date=27 August 2026 |work=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-08-27 |title=Anthony Albanese says 34 Australians among hundreds of people missing in deadly Nepal flash floods |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/27/australian-tourists-reported-missing-nepal-tibet-floods |access-date=2026-08-27 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (South Korea)|South Korean Foreign Ministry]] reported nine citizens working at a hydropower plant construction site went missing.<ref>{{cite web |title=(LEAD) Gov't sends emergency response team to Nepal over 9 missing S. Koreans after massive floods |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260827001051315 |website=Yonhap News |access-date=27 August 2026|date=27 August 2026|last=Oh|first=Seok-min}}</ref> Tourists from South Africa, Japan, and the Netherlands were also reported missing.<ref name="indiatoday26a">{{cite news |title=Nepal flash flood from Tibet leaves 17 dead, 105 Indians missing |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/nepal-flash-flood-tibet-rockslide-rasuwa-105-indians-missing-ptag-2980484-2026-08-26 |access-date=26 August 2026 |publisher= |date=26 August 2026|work=India Today}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> At least 26 [[Nepal Police|police]] officers, 9 [[Armed Police Force]] personnel, 44 [[Nepali Army|Nepal Army]] personnel, customs and immigration personnel were reported missing.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-08-26 |title='राष्ट्रिय विपद्को अवस्था' : सरकारले रसुवा बाढीबारे के-के भनेको छ? |trans-title=The affected district will be declared a disaster area for three months, latest details of damage in Rasuwa floods |url=https://www.bbc.com/nepali/articles/c8d3je7y4vqo |access-date=2026-08-27 |website=BBC News नेपाली |language=ne}}</ref>

Chinese state broadcaster [[China Central Television|CCTV]] reported 3 fatalities and 558 others missing in [[Tibet Autonomous Region]], including 260 foreigners.<ref name="162 dead" /><ref name="RU26a">{{cite web|last=Sharma|first=Gopal|date=26 August 2026|title=Nepal flash flood kills eight; damages roads, power projects|url=https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/nepal-flash-flood-washes-away-villages-project-sites-near-tibet-border-2026-08-26/|website=Reuters|access-date=26 August 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=26 August 2026|url=https://www.am730.com.hk/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B/1049703/%E5%8F%97%E5%B0%BC%E6%B3%8A%E7%88%BE%E6%B3%A5%E7%9F%B3%E6%B5%81%E6%B3%A2%E5%8F%8A-%E8%A5%BF%E8%97%8F3%E6%AD%BB265%E4%BA%BA%E5%A4%B1%E8%81%AF|title=|work=[[am730]]|trans-title=Three Dead and 265 Missing in Tibet Following Nepal Mudslides|language=zh|script-title=zh: 受尼泊爾泥石流波及西藏3死265人失聯|access-date=26 August 2026}}</ref>

== Damage ==
[[File:Landsat Nepal flood 2026-08-26.png|thumb|Satellite imagery of the aftermath of the flooding from [[Landsat 9]]]]
Floodwaters reached settlements as high as {{Convert|270|ft|sigfig=1}} above the river level.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last1=Prasai |first1=Kamal |last2=Gautam |first2=Dinesh |date=2026-08-26 |title=Rasuwa flood leaves trail of destruction from Rasuwagadhi to Bidur |url=https://english.onlinekhabar.com/rasuwa-flood-in-pictures.html |access-date=2026-08-26 |website=Online Khabar |language=en-GB}}</ref> In Nuwakot, floodwater entered areas including [[Timure]], [[Dhunche]], [[Mailung Khola Hydropower Station|Mailung]], [[Syaphru|Syafrubesi]], [[Betrawati, the Uttar Gaya|Betrawati]], Trishuli, and [[Devighat]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Ratopati" /> Local officials said that property damage was extensive; assessments were continuing.<ref name="Ratopati">{{Cite web |title=Flood Damages Property in Nuwakot Due to Rasuwa Border Overflow |url=http://english.ratopati.com/story/76358/nuwakot-cdo-says-there-has-been-a-lot-of-physical-damage |access-date=2026-08-26 |website=Ratopati |language=|date=26 August 2026}}</ref> Director of the [[Department of Roads (Nepal)|Roads Department]] Bijaya Jaishi reported an initial estimate of 15 billion [[Nepalese rupee|rupees]] in road and bridge infrastructure had been damaged.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2026-08-26 |title=रसुवा बाढी : सडक र पुलमा रु १५ अर्बभन्दा बढीको क्षति भएको प्रारम्भिक आकलन |trans-title=Initial assessment: Floods cause over Rs 15 billion in damage to roads and bridges |url=https://www.bbc.com/nepali/articles/c1wxn9705gyo |access-date=2026-08-27 |website=BBC News नेपाली |language=ne}}</ref> He stated that 19 bridges and 40 kilometers of roads had been damaged.<ref name=":4" />

In Nepal, residential areas and infrastructure, including roads, sustained extensive damage.<ref name="RU26a" /> The [[Rasuwagadhi]] [[Customs|customs office]] was destroyed.<ref name=":1" /> A bridge connected to Trishuli Bazaar was swept away.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2026-08-26 |title=Hundreds missing and 98 dead as flash flood hits Nepal-Tibet border |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2zyerv2lmo |access-date=2026-08-26 |website=BBC News|first1=Phanindra|last1=Dahal|first2=Laura|last2=Bicker|language=en-GB}}</ref> On the Chinese side, road access, communications and electricity supply to the [[Gyirong Port]] area were cut off by the flood.<ref>{{cite news |title= |url=https://www.xinhuanet.com/20260826/9b9c3faea12240b288dca79dcacf09c8/c.html |access-date=26 August 2026 |agency=Xinhua |date=26 August 2026|language=zh|script-title=zh: 西藏多方力量赶赴吉隆口岸救援|trans-title=Rescue Teams from Various Sectors in Tibet Rush to the Gyirong Port for Rescue Operations}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> The border crossing was reported as being "completely destroyed".<ref name=":3" /> A road connecting Syafrubesi and Rasuwagadhi, which was under reconstruction after damage from [[2025 Nepal floods|flooding in 2025]], was further damaged.<ref name=":4" />

Damage to electricity generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure disrupted supplies in affected areas. The [[Nepal Electricity Authority]] said that six major hydropower and transmission facilities had been damaged. These included Rasuwagadhi, [[Chilime Hydropower Plant|Chilime]], [[Trishuli Hydropower Station|Trishuli 3A]], the Trishuli 3B Hub 220 [[kilovolt|kV]] substation, [[Trishuli Hydropower Station]], and [[Devighat Hydropower Station]].<ref>{{cite web|date=26 August 2026|title=Rasuwa flood damages 6 major hydropower, transmission facilities, disrupts power supply|url=https://english.nepalnews.com/s/business/rasuwa-flood-damages-6-major-hydropower-transmission-facilities-disrupts-power-supply/|website=Nepal News|location=Kathmandu|access-date=26 August 2026}}</ref>

== Response ==
The Government of Nepal mobilised the [[Nepal Army]], [[Armed Police Force]], and the [[Nepal Police]], supported by helicopters and medical teams, to conduct search, rescue, and relief operations.<ref name="Onlinekhabar">{{Cite web |date=2026-08-26 |title=Flood leaves parts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot cut off |url=https://english.onlinekhabar.com/flood-rasuwa-and-nuwakot.html |access-date=2026-08-26 |language=en-GB|website=OnlineKhabar}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Rasuwa flashflood: NA teams, two choppers deployed for search, rescue |url=https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/85520 |access-date=2026-08-26 |website=The Rising Nepal|date=26 August 2026}}</ref> The Nepal Army reported that at least 88 people had been rescued.<ref name=":0" /> Following the flooding, the Nepal [[Department of Roads (Nepal)|Roads Department]] began installing [[Bailey bridge|bailey bridges]] to replace collapsed bridges.<ref name=":4" />

[[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP General Secretary]] [[Xi Jinping]] called for continued efforts to locate missing people and improvements to disaster monitoring and warning systems.<ref name="Xinhua">{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.news.cn/politics/leaders/20260826/e73cdedcfa6e4384b15cebedc9a13378/c.html |website=[[Xinhua News Agency]] |date=2026-08-26 |access-date=2026-08-26 |language=zh-cn|trans-title=Xi Jinping Issues Important Instructions Regarding the Mudslide Disaster in Jilong County, Shigatse City, Tibet|script-title=zh:习近平对西藏日喀则市吉隆县遭受泥石流灾害作出重要指示|quote=Following the disaster, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee attached great importance to the situation and issued important instructions...}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=26 August 2026|title=Hundreds missing and many feared dead after massive flash flood hits Nepal-China border|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/26/asia/nepal-flooding-flood-intl|website=CNN |access-date=26 August 2026}}</ref> The government of Tibet Autonomous Region mobilized nearly 800 emergency workers and 150 vehicles as well as sniffer dogs and speed boats to help the rescue efforts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 26, 2026 |title=Search for missing after Nepal-Tibet floods kill 165 |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260826-nepal-floods-at-china-border-kill-8-cause-major-casualties-in-tibet |access-date=2026-08-27 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref>

The [[International Charter on Space and Major Disasters]], which provides for widespread albeit contingent humanitarian satellite coverage, was activated.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://disasterscharter.org/activations/flood-in-nepal-activation-1052-|title=Flood in Nepal - Charter Activations | The International Charter: Space And Major Disasters|website=disasterscharter.org}}</ref>

The [[United States Department of State|United States State Department]] stated that it would send a disaster response advisor and provide $500,000 in assistance.<ref name=":3" /> UN secretary-general [[António Guterres|Antonio Guterres]] stated that United Nations teams and partners were sending supplies and personnel to support the the Nepal government-led response.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> Indian minister of external affairs [[S. Jaishankar]] reported that India had sent ten tonnes of [[humanitarian assistance]] and [[disaster relief]] supplies on 26 August.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2026-08-26 |title=India sends humanitarian aid, essential medicines to Nepal after flash floods |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/nepal-flash-floods-india-sends-relief-aid-medicines-by-iaf-flight-ptag-2980675-2026-08-26 |access-date=2026-08-27 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Nepal|China}}
{{Commonscat}}
* [[List of flash floods]]
* [[1970 Huascarán debris avalanche]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Deadliest meteorological events in 2026}}
{{2026 floods}}

[[Category:2026 floods in Asia|Nepal]]
[[Category:2020s in Tibet|Nepal floods]]
[[Category:August 2026 in Nepal|Floods]]
[[Category:Floods in Nepal]]
[[Category:Floods in China|Nepal]]
[[Category:History of Bagmati Province]]
[[Category:Nuwakot District]]
[[Category:Rasuwa District]]
[[Category:China–Nepal border]]
[[Category:Flash floods|Nepal]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]

2026 Nepal–Tibet floods - Revision history

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