Flash flood on Nepal-Tibet border leaves more than 400 travellers missing, including 33 Britons

A sudden flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border has left more than 400 travellers missing, including 33 British citizens, according to Nepal's tourism board. The flood struck the Tibetan side of the Bhote Koshi River at about 8.30am local time on Wednesday and triggered catastrophic flooding on the Nepali side. Reports from the affected area said the surge caused major damage across the border region.

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Police in Nepal said 157 bodies had been recovered and more than 40 people were injured and receiving treatment in hospital. The tourism board said at least 341 foreign nationals were unaccounted for, while more than 100 of the missing had not yet been assigned a nationality. Among the missing Britons was a 13-year-old girl, and travel logs shared with reporters indicated the ages of the missing British citizens ranged from 13 to 65.

Alpine Eco Trek, a company that offers guided tours and expeditions in Nepal, said 12 British nationals on one of its tours across the border were missing. Its owner, Ram Kumar Adhikari, said there was not much information to share but confirmed that 12 British citizens were expected to enter the area that morning. South Korea's foreign ministry also said eight South Koreans working on a hydropower plant were missing and 10 others were stranded.

Local authorities urged tourists in Rasuwa district and other areas along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers to exercise extreme caution, remain in safe areas and move to higher ground if needed. The flooding has highlighted the vulnerability of border communities and infrastructure in the Himalayan region, where steep terrain and fast-moving rivers can turn sudden weather or geological events into large-scale disasters. Officials in Nepal said houses, roads and energy infrastructure were destroyed, while authorities in Tibet feared major casualties after a mudslide hit a border land crossing in Gyirong county.