Nepal-China floods: Over 360 killed, with more than 1,400 missing

As rescue teams searched Thursday for missing people, Earth scientists reviewed satellite imagery for clues to the cause and assessed the devastation.

Geomorphologists Kristen Cook and Dan Shugar said initial images from Nepal on Wednesday were obscured by clouds and dust from the debris, so they could only see that part of a glacier had broken off from the Langtang Lirung peak, near the border with Tibet. In clearer images from Thursday, they said they could see that the bedrock underneath the glacier had collapsed, taking the massive chunk of ice down with it and sending boulders and ice into the valley.

Shugar said it's heart-wrenching to look downstream from there on the images, to where people were living, and see how the debris has buried villages.

After slamming to the valley floor, the debris maintained its momentum through the steep, narrow valley as ice melted, said Cook, at the Universite Grenoble Alpes in France. Water and mud several stories high swept through communities.

The Trishuli River surged during the flooding. Before and after satellite images of the Kolpurtar, Betrawati and Syapru Besi areas of Nepal show that the river is now much wider, and brown and black, because it overtopped its banks in some areas and filled with debris in others. The change in the color of the water shows how much sediment the flow was carrying, turning from greenish to very brown because it's full of mud, Cook said.

The president said recent flooding in a border area of China and Nepal was terrible to see, describing how "strong, well-built buildings were wiped out like they were toothpicks."

Talking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, he said the U.S. has spoken with Nepalese leaders and offered to provide "anything they want."

Trump said there were 50 or 60 Americans in the area but added that a full accounting hasn't been completed.

More than 390 people were killed, according to authorities in Nepal and China, and more than 1,400 were missing, including hundreds of foreigners and pilgrims. Hundreds of others have been displaced across the Himalayan region.

US officials said about 90 U.S. citizens remained unaccounted for Thursday, a day after catastrophic flash floods engulfed a border area of China and Nepal, killing hundreds of people.

In a statement, the U.S. State Department said it is not aware of any U.S. deaths, but three Americans have been rescued.

Many of the missing were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus, Buddhists and others.

The UAE has allocated US$10 million through the UAE Aid Agency as part of its urgent humanitarian response to assist those affected by devastating floods and landslides Nepal, which have resulted in dozens of deaths, injuries and missing persons, as well as extensive damage.

The assistance comes under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

King Charles III said Thursday he and Queen Camilla were "heartbroken" by the flash floods and landslides at the Nepal-Tibet border, as the UK government offered GBP5 million ($6.8 million) in aid.

In a personally signed message posted on the royal family's X account, the British monarch noted "many in the United Kingdom have strong, deep and personal ties to this part of the world".

"We send our most profound sympathy to all those who have so tragically lost their loved ones and we feel deeply for the many families awaiting anxiously the news of friends and relations," he wrote.

"Our hearts go out also to the families of all the police and armed forces personnel who lost their lives while carrying out their courageous duty in the service of others," Charles said.

Chinese rescuers with dogs and drones joined the search for hundreds missing after flash floods and landslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border, state media reported Thursday.

More than 1,400 people are unaccounted for after the disaster, as the death toll surged to at least 362, with entire villages swept away.

Beijing's foreign ministry said nearly 100 Chinese nationals were among the missing in Nepal.

That was in addition to the hundreds missing, including 260 foreigners, on its side of the border.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived at the mudslide site in Tibet on Thursday afternoon to "guide emergency rescue and relief work", state media reported.

Devastating floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have killed at least 359 people, Nepali police said in an update on Thursday, a day after the disaster along the Himalayan nation's border with Tibet.

"As of 5:00 pm Thursday, 359 people have died," Nepal Police said in a statement. Chinese state media had earlier reported "major casualties" from a mudslide at a Tibet border hub with three dead, taking the total killed to at least 362.

Catastrophic flash floods along the China-Nepal border have killed at least 353 people and left more than 1,300 missing, including foreign trekkers, tourists and pilgrims. Missing-person figures may vary between agencies due to differences in data collection, verification and coordination with rescue teams operating across the affected region.

Nepal - Police reported at least 353 dead and 826 missing. Local reports cited the National Emergency Operation Center as saying Thursday the missing included 113 Nepali tourists, 85 security personnel from the army and police as well as 161 residents from the Rasuwa district and one from the Nuwakot district.

The National Tourism Board later Thursday said 517 foreigners were missing.

• China - State media reported at least three people died and 558 were missing in Gyirong County, Tibet. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that 260 of the 558 missing people were foreigners. In addition, nearly 100 Chinese citizens were missing on the Nepal side, China's foreign ministry said.

• India - Nepal's tourism board said 179 of those missing were from India. Officials said most were on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus.

• United States - The board said 65 of the missing were from the US.

• Malaysia - The board said 51 Malaysians were missing.

• Ukraine - Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said that 55 Ukrainians are missing. The number includes two tourist groups of 47 and seven people, in addition to one Ukrainian woman traveling with a foreign tour group, the ministry said.

• Australia - The board said 35 Australians were missing.

• Britain - The board said 33 of the missing were from Britain.

• Canada - Nepal's tourism board said 25 of the missing were from Canada.

• South Korea - South Korean government officials said nine citizens working on building a hydropower plant in Nepal were missing.

• Singapore - Eight Singaporeans were missing, according to Nepal tourism board.

• Germany - Nepal's tourism board said eight tourists from Germany were missing.

• Russia - The Russian Embassy in Nepal said eight of its citizens were missing.

• South Africa - The board said six South Africans were missing.

• Latvia - The board said six tourists from Latvia were missing.

• Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed worry about five Japanese nationals whom local media reported were missing.

• New Zealand - Five people from New Zealand were missing, said Nepal's tourism board.

• France - The board said four French citizens were missing.

• Belgium - The board said three from Belgium were missing.

• Spain - The board said three visitors from Spain were missing.

• Others - The board said two people each from Italy, Kazakhstan, Portugal, Ireland and Netherlands were missing. It said 10 others - one each from Belarus, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, Philippines, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Serbia and Sweden - were also missing.

The Nepal disaster highlights growing risks across the rapidly warming Hindu Kush Himalaya, where more than 63,000 glaciers feed major Asian rivers. Scientists say glacier ice-loss rates have doubled since 2000, while retreating ice and thawing permafrost are destabilising mountain slopes. Melting can also enlarge glacial lakes, increasing the threat of sudden floods and cascading hazards involving avalanches, debris flows and river blockages.

Around 78% of the region’s glacier area is highly exposed to warming. Scientists warn stronger monitoring, early-warning systems and cross-border information sharing are increasingly critical, as communities may have only minutes to respond when disasters unfold.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that 288 Indian nationals remain out of contact following the flash floods in Nepal as India continues to make all efforts to reach out to the missing people through the Nepalese authorities.

Addressing a special media briefing on Nepal disaster in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Nepalese counterpart Balendra Shah on Wednesday and expressed India's solidarity with the Himalayan nation, offering all possible humanitarian assistance.

Jaiswal said, "As per information currently available, there are 288 Indian nationals who remain uncontactable. These include 73 Indian nationals who are working on the Trishuli-1 Power Project. Our Embassy in Kathmandu is in touch with project head to get more details about these people as you well understand that communication lines in that area, they are totally disrupted and therefore it has been difficult to get in touch with people on the ground.

Nepal police has just issued another update, saying 332 people have died as of 3.50pm local time on Thursday following the floods, reported BBC.

Pope Leo XIV was "saddened to learn of the loss of life and devastation caused by the flash floods in Nepal," the Vatican said Thursday. 

"His holiness sends heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved, together with the assurance of his spiritual closeness to those affected by this tragedy," read the note written by the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. 

The West Bengal government on Thursday confirmed that 36 people from the state are missing in Nepal due to devastating floods.

Although the state government officials are yet to give the details of all the missing persons, they have claimed these tourists are from different pockets in West Bengal, including Kolkata, Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district, Basirhat in North 24 Parganas, Durgapur in West Burdwan district, Tarakeshwar in Hooghly and Siliguri in Darjeeling district.

Locals in the worst-hit Devighat area detailed to ANI the desperate scramble for survival amid widespread destruction, blocked access routes, and lingering fears of further casualties.

Detailing the immediate personal tragedy and the scarcity of resources on the ground, local resident Janak Bahadur Nepali said, "My house has sunk. Except for 2-3 people, all others are safe in the village. We are facing challenges regarding food and living. Currently, we have not received anything from the government."

Highlighting the scale of the local catastrophe and the individuals still unaccounted for, another local resident noted, "Devighat is the worst-affected area. Some people from here are missing."

BBC reported the director of the Centre for Disaster Studies at the Tribhuvan University in Nepal, Basanta Raj Adhikari, saying that there is a risk of "second and third waves" today or tomorrow.

"We don't know yet," he said, adding that he was in talks with his peers in China who are keeping a close eye on the situation. "There isn't high rainfall, but [a] landslide might happen."

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has arrived at the area on the China-Nepal border hit by a devastating mudslide, state media reported on Thursday, to oversee search efforts for more than 500 people missing there.

"With the support of General Secretary Xi Jinping... Premier Li Qiang, leading comrades from relevant departments, arrived at the disaster-stricken area of Gyirong Town, Gyirong County, Tibet to guide emergency rescue and relief work, and to visit rescue workers and affected people," state news agency Xinhua reported. 

Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has confirmed that at least 300 Indian nationals, most of them pilgrims on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, have been reported missing following the devastating flash floods that struck the Himalayan nation.

Speaking during the NDTV World Anviksha Summit in Kathmandu, Khanal said: "Town after town were wiped out within hours. Thousands of families have lost homes and are missing as of now. We are still trying to ascertain the full extent of the disaster."

"Foreign nationals, including Indians, take the route in the affected area to the Mansarovar Yatra. Close to 300 Indians have been reported missing and the government is trying to establish contact with them," Khanal said.

21 Indian nationals from Tamil Nadu, who travelled for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, have been rescued in Nepal.

Devastating floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have killed at least 270 people, Nepali police said in an update on Thursday, a day after the disaster.

Chinese state media had earlier reported "major casualties" from a mudslide at a Tibet border hub with three dead, taking the total killed to at least 273.

A glacier collapse in Tibet caused catastrophic flash flooding Wednesday in a border area of China and Nepal. Authorities in both countries have reported more than 160 deaths and over 1,300 people missing as of Thursday.

The number of missing may vary across agencies due to differences in how they collected data, when it was reported and how it was verified, as well as gaps in coordination between those assembling data and those conducting rescue efforts in the affected area.

For architect and Padma Shri awardee G. Shankar, the devastating flash floods and glacial avalanche that struck the Nepal-Tibet border have turned a cancelled pilgrimage into a deeply unsettling wait for news.

Shankar was scheduled to undertake the Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage with the Mohanji Foundation, travelling through the same Himalayan route that has now been devastated by the disaster.

In a Facebook post written amid the unfolding tragedy, Shankar said his son had insisted that he and his wife should not travel.

The couple ultimately cancelled their trip on August 21, just days before the disaster struck the route.

The Chinese Embassy in Nepal addressed claims of a ‘geological disaster dam’, calling it fake news. Here's the complete post:

As newspapers report the loss of several lives in a devastating flash flood in the Bhote Koshi River in Nepal's Rasuwa district, the scale of the tragedy continues to evoke widespread grief and anxiety across the Himalayan nation.

Speaking to ANI, reflecting on the profound impact of the catastrophe, a local shared, "The flood has affected areas bordering China, till Chitwan. The govt is conducting relief work; many bodies have been found. Nepal has suffered badly. I have heard that 200 tourists are also missing. It was a really painful incident. We are hopeful that our neighbouring countries will help Nepal."

Another local in Kathmandu said, "I have read about it in the newspaper. The water is not expected to reach Kathmandu. The situation is normal in Kathmandu city. Relief should be sent to the affected area."

Scores of pilgrims from across the world are among the hundreds missing after deadly floods swept through the Nepal-Tibet border region, popular Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru said Thursday.

The pilgrims were part of several Hindu groups organised by Isha Foundation of Sadhguru, who had been visiting the snow-capped Mount Kailash in Tibet, sacred also to Tibetan Buddhists.

"Literally, the entire group was there in the building, this is a terrible and extraordinary event," he said, as anguished wails from other pilgrims with him are heard over the video.

"All phones are off, telecommunications are down, roads are blocked, we are unable to go there," he said, tears in his eyes.

Mudslides in China's Tibet Autonomous Region have left 558 people missing, while Nepalese police reported on Thursday that more than 162 people were killed after massive flash floods swept through a border area between Nepal and China, leaving hundreds of tourists, workers and others missing.

Drone footage showed roads destroyed and buildings buried by thundering water. The region's steep valleys are economic lifelines and travel corridors but are precarious when disaster strikes.

India on Thursday dispatched a second flight carrying 37.5 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, medicines, and food packets to support Nepal's relief efforts after devastating flash floods that have left hundreds dead.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar took to X and reaffirmed India's commitment to supporting Nepal in the rescue and relief operations.

The Nepali Army said seven people trapped in a tunnel of a hydroelectric project in Haku, Rasuwa have been rescued alive, reported BBC. It says efforts are underway to rescue those trapped in three other tunnels.

According to the army, 95 people have been safely rescued from the Timure area of ​​Rasuwa.

Nepal was struck by massive flash floods following a powerful surge along the Bhote Koshi River, resulting in a devastating loss of life, prompting Nepal's security and disaster-management agencies, local authorities, and health services to fully mobilise for search and rescue, evacuation, emergency medical assistance, and relief operations as authorities closely monitor river systems and downstream flood risks.

Nepal Embassy sources stated, "So far, 175 bodies have been recovered, while many people, both locals and tourists, are still missing. According to the latest available information, 476 people from 28 countries have been reported missing. These figures remain subject to verification as search and rescue operations continue."

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Thursday said he was saddened over the devastating floods in the Rasuwa region of Nepal and Kyirong in Tibet, resulting in loss of life and heavy structural damage.

“I am saddened to learn of the devastating floods in the Rasuwa region of Nepal and Kyirong in Tibet, resulting in loss of life and heavy structural damage. I pray for all those who have lost their lives, and offer my sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved and to all those affected by this tragedy,” the Nobel Peace Laureate said in a statement.

Hundreds of foreign nationals are missing in Nepal after devastating flash floods on Wednesday killed at least 160 people.

Official figures suggested at least 341 foreigners were among the missing.

Hikers and climbers from around the world flock to the Himalayan nation to test themselves on some of the world's highest peaks, Mount Everest among them.

Here is the latest on the missing:

India

According to the Nepal Tourism Board, 142 nationals from neighbouring India were missing.

Ukraine

Ukraine's foreign ministry said Nepal's Tourist Police had informed them that they believed 53 Ukrainian nationals were missing.

Australia

Thirty-four Australians are missing following the floods, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed.

"Our thoughts are with all those who will be concerned about their loved ones today," he said.

Malaysia

Seventeen Malaysians were missing in the floods.

United Kingdom

Twelve UK citizens with theagency were unaccounted for, the tourism board said.

South Korea

South Korea's foreign ministry said nine hydropower workers were out of contact in the Rasuwa district following the floods.

Japan

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she was "concerned" by media reports that five Japanese nationals were missing.

"I am fervently praying that each and every irreplaceable life will be protected," she said in a post on X.

South Africa

Four South Africans travelling were missing.

United States

Three US citizens were unaccounted for, the board said. 

Portugal

Portugal's foreign ministry said a woman and a man had gone missing in the floods.

Netherlands

A Dutch citizen travelling with the same company as the missing Australian was also unaccounted for, the board added.

Italy

The Italian foreign ministry said two of its nationals and their guide were stranded upstream from a landslide but were receiving help. 

The ministry is aware of 90 Italian citizens currently in Nepal and Tibet, but does not know if any might have been affected.

Several of the tour groups also announced missing foreigners whose nationalities had not been confirmed.

A glacial collapse caused seismic activity and "catastrophic" downstream impacts in Nepal and Tibet, the US Geological Survey said Thursday.

The agency said seismic activity initially reported as an earthquake "was instead a glacial collapse and debris flow" that "caused subsequent catastrophic impacts downstream".

At least 160 people were killed by torrents of water and debris that crashed downstream on either side of the Nepal-Tibet border, with hundreds reported missing in both areas.

More than a thousand rescuers, equipped with dogs and drones, were searching for survivors after a wall of mud and debris swept over buildings on the Chinese side of the border on Wednesday morning. 

A clip of surveillance video from the Chinese side of the frontier showed dozens of people running for their lives as the surge crashed down. 

Rescue operations face multiple challenges, including "the instability of a reservoir lake upstream" and "the narrow mountain road", Li Qipu, a member of China's paramilitary People's Armed Police, told state broadcaster CCTV. 

Large vehicles and heavy equipment cannot currently reach the main disaster zone, although surrounding roads remain open, allowing supplies to get in from behind, according to the broadcaster.

Authorities have dispatched nearly 800 people and more than 150 vehicles to the border area, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The fire service has deployed 431 personnel, working with search dogs, life-detection scanners, and small boats, it said. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed solidarity with Nepal following the devastating floods that claimed 162 lives and left hundreds, including security personnel and tourists, missing, saying the United States is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to the Himalayan nation.

In a post on X, Rubio said, "We express our solidarity and are united in prayer for the Nepali people following the devastating floods. US State Department stands ready to support the Government of Nepal with needed humanitarian assistance."

The United States has pledged $500,000 in emergency assistance, and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies released $1.4 million.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "saddened" by the flooding in "Nepal and China" in which 157 people died, and hundreds from around the world are missing, and has offered the world organisation's help for the relief efforts.

His spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday (local time), "He extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a swift recovery to those injured".

Guterres "expresses his solidarity with all those affected", he added.

Guterres "commends the emergency responders working to save lives and reiterates the United Nations' readiness to provide further support", he said.