Hundreds missing, scores dead in Nepal, Tibet after flash flooding, mud flow

Kathmandu, Nepal – A devastating glacial collapse has unleashed catastrophic flash floods and mudflows across communities along the Nepal-China border, leaving hundreds missing and scores dead. Rescue teams are engaged in desperate efforts to locate survivors amidst the widespread destruction.

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported on Thursday that 826 people are missing, and the death toll has climbed to 165. The most severely impacted districts, Nuwakot and Rasuwa, are seeing intensified rescue operations involving army and private helicopters. Dozens of injured individuals have been transported to Kathmandu for advanced medical care.

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When I reached Dhunge bazaar, in half an hour, the flood came and damaged all the market. People were preparing to go to office then. How many people are missing or dead, we don't know.

On the Tibetan side of the border, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that 558 people are missing, a figure that includes 260 foreigners. Two villagers have been rescued, and at least three deaths have been confirmed. The scale of the disaster is still unfolding, with search efforts hampered by the treacherous terrain and the sheer force of the torrents.

Videos and drone footage circulating from the region depict scenes of utter devastation: violent torrents of water tearing through valleys, destroying bridges and roads, and inundating homes. Buildings have been buried under thick layers of mud, and survivors, often caked in the debris, describe the suddenness and ferocity of the floods, which left little time for escape. The steep valleys, vital for transport and economy, have become precarious zones of disaster.

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The Nepalese army rescued more than 100 people from flood-affected areas through helicopter operations Thursday.