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🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Disasters & Emergencies

Nearly 1,500 missing in Nepal and Tibet after devastating Himalaya flood

From Daily Star · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • Nearly 1,500 people, including at least 800 foreigners, are missing in Nepal and China's Tibet after a massive mud and rockslide collapsed into a Himalayan river, causing catastrophic floods.
  • Rescuers are using helicopters to search for survivors and deliver supplies to thousands stranded by the disaster, which swept through a region popular with trekkers and pilgrims.
  • Authorities expect the death toll to rise beyond 165 as recovery efforts continue, with foreigners from over two dozen countries among the missing.

A catastrophic flood triggered by a massive mud and rockslide has left nearly 1,500 people missing across Nepal and China's Tibet. Authorities reported on Thursday that at least 800 foreigners are among those unaccounted for following the disaster that swept through a rugged mountainous region frequented by trekkers and pilgrims.

Rescuers in Nepal deployed helicopters to search for survivors and deliver emergency supplies to thousands of people cut off by the devastating floods. Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle stated that the death toll, currently standing at 165, is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered. "This will go up, as we have resumed the search and more bodies are expected to be recovered," Kafle told Reuters.

This will go up, as we have resumed the search and more bodies are expected to be recovered.

— Abi Narayan KaflePolice spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle told Reuters about the expected rise in the death toll.

Among the missing are nearly 600 foreigners in Nepal, including 177 from India, 63 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain, and 25 from Canada. In Tibet's Gyirong county, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported 558 missing, including 260 foreign nationals. Verified videos depicted overwhelming torrents of water and debris sweeping away people and infrastructure at a border crossing and downstream in Nepal.

It was a huge gush of mud coming straight towards us. As it got closer, it kept rising higher and higher. When I saw it enter our home, I tried to grab my wife's hand and take her to the terrace. But she was swept away by the mud.

— Keshav Prasad BaralA survivor described the moment the floodwaters hit his home.

Survivors recounted harrowing experiences. Keshav Prasad Baral, 68, described the terrifying rush of mud and water engulfing his home. "It was a huge gush of mud coming straight towards us," he said. "As it got closer, it kept rising higher and higher. When I saw it enter our home, I tried to grab my wife's hand and take her to the terrace. But she was swept away by the mud." He was later rescued by helicopter, but his wife remains missing.

Emergency deliveries of tents and food, provided by neighboring India, are underway in the hardest-hit districts. Over 5,000 army and police personnel are involved in the search and recovery operations. Early reports suggest an earthquake in the region may have triggered the collapse of a glacier, leading to the floods.

My wife is still somewhere beneath the mud. She's gone.

— Keshav Prasad BaralA survivor recounted the loss of his wife in the flood.
About this summary

Originally published by Daily Star. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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