Desperate relatives crowded hospitals, police stations and emergency centres in Kathmandu on Thursday as rescue teams intensified the search for hundreds of people missing after a catastrophic flash flood tore through communities along the Nepal-Tibet border.
At least 165 people had been confirmed dead in Nepal and Tibet as of Thursday, while nearly 1,400 people remained missing or unaccounted for, according to the latest reports from authorities. The figures were still expected to rise as rescue teams reached areas cut off by destroyed roads, bridges and communications infrastructure.
The disaster began on Wednesday after a massive collapse of ice, rock and debris high in the Himalayas sent a sudden wall of water and mud through river valleys on both sides of the Nepal-China border.
In Kathmandu, worried families moved between emergency wards and police helpdesks, checking lists of survivors and missing persons. Some carried photographs of relatives who had disappeared after communications were cut off by the flooding.
The scale of the disaster has been particularly alarming because many of those missing are tourists and pilgrims travelling through one of the region’s major trekking and pilgrimage corridors.
Nepalese authorities said 826 people were reported missing in Nepal, including nearly 500 foreign nationals. Among those reported missing were citizens of India, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. Across the border in Tibet’s Gyirong County, Chinese authorities reported another 558 people missing, including 260 foreign nationals.
The human tragedy was accompanied by scenes of extraordinary destruction, with homes, vehicles, bridges, roads and other infrastructure swept away by torrents that witnesses described as resembling a tsunami.
The flooding struck communities along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems, affecting parts of Nepal’s Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitwan districts and the Gyirong area of Tibet. In some locations, thick layers of mud and debris buried buildings, while vehicles and other structures were carried downstream.
The disaster also disrupted important transport and commercial links between Nepal and China, particularly around the Gyirong border crossing.
Initial reports suggested that an earthquake may have triggered the event. However, subsequent scientific analysis by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) indicated that the seismic signal initially interpreted as an earthquake was actually generated by the sudden collapse of glacial rock and ice. The collapse produced a massive debris flow that temporarily blocked a river before the natural dam gave way, releasing a destructive surge downstream.
Satellite analysis indicated that a substantial section of a glacier collapsed from an elevation of about 5,200 metres, plunging more than 1,000 metres and gathering huge quantities of rock and sediment before crashing into the river system. The resulting natural dam was unable to withstand the pressure, unleashing the flood into downstream communities.
The absence of heavy rainfall at the time of the collapse made the disaster particularly difficult to anticipate. Communities downstream received little or no warning before the torrent arrived, leaving residents with almost no time to escape.
Rescue operations have since been mounted on a massive scale. Nepal has deployed thousands of soldiers, police officers and rescue personnel, supported by helicopters and heavy equipment. Rescue teams have been searching through mud-covered settlements, riverbanks and debris fields while helicopters deliver food, medicine, tents and other emergency supplies to communities cut off from the rest of the country.
More than 5,000 army and police personnel were involved in the rescue effort, with helicopters used to reach isolated communities and evacuate survivors. Rescue operations, however, have been severely hampered by damaged roads, destroyed bridges, poor communications and the difficult mountainous terrain.
Nepal’s Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, travelled towards one of the worst-affected areas to assess the situation and coordinate the government’s response. Authorities have warned that the search remains dangerous because of unstable slopes and the possibility of further landslides and flooding.
The disaster has also caused significant damage to Nepal’s power infrastructure, with several hydropower installations affected by the floods. Trade and transportation along the Nepal-China route have similarly been disrupted.
Across the border, Chinese authorities have launched their own rescue and recovery operations around Gyirong. The Chinese side has deployed personnel and equipment to clear mudslides and reach people trapped in affected areas, while officials continue to monitor the situation for further hazards.
The large number of missing foreign nationals has prompted governments and diplomatic missions to begin tracing their citizens. Families from several countries are anxiously awaiting confirmation about relatives who were travelling through the affected region.
The disaster has also renewed concerns about the growing vulnerability of Himalayan communities to sudden glacial and mountain-related hazards. Experts have increasingly warned that unstable glaciers, changing temperatures and the accumulation of meltwater can increase the risk of sudden outburst floods in high-altitude regions.
For families gathered in Kathmandu and other affected communities, however, the immediate priority remains finding those who are still missing.
With rescue workers continuing to comb through devastated valleys and riverbanks, hopes remain that some of the hundreds listed as missing will still be found alive.
The scale of the tragedy is still unfolding, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise as previously inaccessible areas are reached and more victims are recovered.
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