More Than 1,300 Missing After Deadly Floods Hit Nepal and Tibet

More than 1,300 people are missing in Nepal and China’s Tibet region following devastating floods triggered by a massive collapse of ice, rock and debris in the Himalayas.

At least 165 people have been confirmed dead, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise as search and rescue operations continue.

In Nepal, officials said 826 people remain missing, including nearly 500 foreign nationals. Those reported missing include 177 Indians, 63 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons and 25 Canadians.

In neighbouring Tibet, Chinese authorities reported 558 missing people, including 260 foreign nationals.

The disaster struck after a huge landslide of glacial rock and ice sent a powerful surge of mud, rocks and floodwater through valleys and settlements near the Nepal-China border. Homes, roads, bridges, vehicles and power infrastructure were swept away.

Nepal has deployed more than 5,000 army and police personnel to the rescue operation, supported by helicopters delivering food, medicine and tents to communities cut off by the floods. Rescuers recovered 125 people on Thursday, including 20 foreigners.

Nepalese authorities initially suspected that an earthquake had triggered the collapse. However, the US Geological Survey said the seismic event initially recorded as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake was actually energy generated by the sudden collapse of glacial rock and ice, followed by a massive debris flow.

Chinese authorities have also warned that a lake blocked by debris upstream in Tibet could pose an additional danger and complicate rescue operations.

Many of those affected were pilgrims and tourists travelling through the Himalayan region, including people visiting Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, sites considered sacred by Hindus, Buddhists and other religious communities.

International assistance is also being provided. The United States has announced $500,000 in emergency aid and is sending a disaster response adviser, while the United Nations is supplying emergency assistance and support personnel to affected communities.

Authorities continue to search for survivors as the scale of the destruction becomes clearer. Witnesses and officials described entire riverside settlements as having been swept away by the force of the floods.

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