Over 165 dead, nearly 1,000 missing after Himalayan flood disaster

At least 165 people have died and nearly 1,000 are missing following a catastrophic flood in the Himalayas. The disaster was triggered by a massive slide of ice, rock, and mud into a river on the border between Nepal and Tibet.

Nepalese police reported late Wednesday that 157 deaths had been confirmed. On the Tibetan side, 558 people are missing, while 403 are reported missing in Nepal. Chinese state media Xinhua reported that the landslides in Tibet were caused by a glacial collapse. Among the 558 missing in Tibet, 260 are foreigners.

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When I came to Dhunge market, it took half an hour before the flood came and destroyed the entire market. People were about to leave for work. How many are missing or dead, we don't know.

Drone footage reveals widespread devastation, with roads washed away, buildings buried in mud, and vehicles partially submerged. Debris hangs from trees and power lines in many areas. Survivors recount harrowing experiences, with one man describing how the flood destroyed a market and swept people away as they were heading to work. Another survivor narrowly escaped by clinging to a mango tree as his house disappeared.

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There was a huge stream of mud that came right towards us. The closer it got, the higher it became. When I saw it entering our house, I tried to grab my wife's hand and get her onto the terrace. But she was swept away by the mud.

Authorities in both Nepal and China fear the death toll will rise sharply. The flood has obliterated houses, roads, bridges, and hydropower facilities on the Nepalese side of the border. Videos from the region show people being swept away by the torrents.

More than 400 tourists are reported missing, including approximately 340 foreigners. Among them are 133 Indian pilgrims, 47 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons, and 24 Canadians. South Korea reported eight of its citizens working at a hydropower plant are also missing. The affected area is along a popular pilgrimage route to Kailash Manasarovar in Tibet.

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Four or five hours later, a helicopter rescued me. My wife is still somewhere under the mud. She is gone.

There is ongoing concern about the potential for further floods, as a blockage remains in the river upstream near the Nepal-China border. Experts warn this could trigger another wave of flooding.

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It was a huge stream of mud that came right towards us. The closer it got, the higher it became. When I saw it entering our house, I tried to grab my hand of my wife and get her up on the terrace. But she was swept away by the mud.