Nepal-Tibet border flood death toll rises as more than 1,300 remain missing

At least 165 people have now been confirmed dead after a catastrophic flood and mudslide hit the Nepal-Tibet border region, with more than 1,300 people still missing across both sides of the frontier. The disaster was triggered by a huge collapse of mud and rock into a Himalayan river, sending floodwaters through towns, valleys and a border crossing used by trekkers and pilgrims. Search and rescue operations are continuing in rugged mountain terrain, where roads, homes and power infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed.

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Officials in Nepal said 826 people were missing in the country, including nearly 500 foreigners, while Chinese authorities reported 558 people missing in Tibet's Gyirong county, including 260 foreign nationals. Among the missing in Nepal are people from India, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said the death toll was expected to rise as rescuers resumed operations and more bodies were likely to be recovered.

More than 5,000 army and police personnel have been deployed in Nepal, and helicopters are being used to search for survivors and drop tents, food and medicine into isolated districts. Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said supplies provided by neighbouring India were being delivered to the hardest-hit areas. Officials said 125 people were rescued on Thursday, including 20 foreigners, as the response continued in an area that is difficult to reach by road.

The scale of the disaster has immediate humanitarian and cross-border significance because the affected corridor links Nepal and Tibet and is used by international travellers. The large number of foreign nationals among the missing means the incident is likely to draw sustained attention from several governments as they seek confirmation of who has been found. The destruction of transport and power links also raises the risk of prolonged disruption for local communities already cut off by the flooding.

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Early reports from Nepalese officials suggested an earthquake may have caused part of a glacier to collapse, but the US Geological Survey said the seismic signal was generated by the sudden collapse of glacial rock and ice rather than a quake. That assessment points to the instability of high-altitude terrain in the Himalayas, where landslides, glacier failures and flash floods can move rapidly through narrow valleys. The affected area is also a route for pilgrimage and tourism, adding to the number of people exposed when the flood struck.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah travelled by road to Bidur in one of the worst-affected districts of Nuwakot to assess the situation, according to his office. Rescue teams are still trying to account for those missing, and the final death toll remains uncertain. It is also not yet clear how many of the foreign nationals will be found alive, or how long it will take to restore access to the worst-hit areas.

Officials are expected to continue updating casualty figures as search operations expand.

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