Over 1,300 Missing in Nepal and Tibet After Devastating Himalayan Flash Floods

More than 1,300 people, including over 700 foreigners, are missing in Nepal and China's Tibet Autonomous Region after a massive slide of mud and rocks into a Himalayan river triggered catastrophic flash floods that swept through towns and valleys in the area.

Nepali authorities have confirmed at least 165 deaths, with nearly 500 foreigners among the 826 people listed as missing in the country. Police said the figure is expected to rise as rescue teams resumed searches and recovered more bodies.

According to official Nepali statistics, the missing tourists come from more than two dozen countries, including 177 Indians, 63 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 British and 25 Canadians. In Gyirong County in Tibet, 558 people have been reported missing, including 260 foreigners, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Nepali rescue forces have deployed helicopters to search for survivors and drop emergency supplies to thousands of people stranded in the rugged mountain region, a popular route for travelers and pilgrims moving between Lhasa and the capital Kathmandu.

Verified video footage showed floodwaters and debris sweeping away dozens of people at a border crossing in Gyirong. Downstream in Nepal, entire homes, roads and power infrastructure have been destroyed.

Nepal army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said helicopters were airdropping tents, food and medicines supplied by India to the worst-hit districts. More than 5,000 army and police personnel have joined the rescue effort, saving 125 people on Thursday, including 20 foreigners.

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah left the capital for Bidur in Nuwakot district, one of the most affected areas, to assess the flood situation on the ground.

Early reports from Nepali officials suggested an earthquake may have caused part of a glacier to collapse, triggering the flash flood. However, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the initial seismic event recorded at magnitude 4.4 was actually energy generated by the sudden collapse of ice and rock, which unleashed a massive debris flow.

Chinese authorities warned that a water reservoir formed by the floods remains in Gyirong upstream of the affected border crossing, posing additional risks and potentially complicating rescue efforts in the region.

Many of those affected were on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, high-altitude sacred sites in Tibet revered by Hindus, Buddhists and other faiths.

Prominent Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru, born Jagdish Vasudev, said about 77 Hindu pilgrims were at the immigration office on the Nepal-China border when the flood hit. They were part of groups organized by his Isha Foundation.

Internationally, the U.S. State Department said it was sending disaster response advisers and providing $500,000 in emergency aid. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the flood "devastating" and said authorities were closely monitoring the situation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirmed UN relief teams were moving emergency supplies to affected communities in Nepal.

Sagar Pandey, CEO of a Himalayan travel company, said 15 Indo-Australian pilgrims traveling with his firm are among the missing. After an aerial survey, he described the disaster zone: "No man-made structure, no residential area remains. It's just flat ground. Anyone in the hotels, restaurants or vehicles – I believe no one survived."

Preliminary analysis of satellite imagery from Planet Labs showed an ice and rock avalanche had triggered a debris flow down the Lhende River, about 20 kilometers northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border post between Nepal and China. In affected valleys, thick mud covered houses, trees and vehicles; aerial footage showed collapsed homes, submerged cars and a washed-away metal bridge.

Tula Bahadur BK, a health worker in Rasuwa, said emotionally: "Everywhere you see destruction. The settlements along the river have been completely swept away. Five of my relatives are missing."