At Least 168 Dead and Over 1,300 Missing After Nepal-Tibet Floods and Landslides

A devastating natural disaster struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, where flash floods and massive landslides have killed at least 168 people and left more than 1,300 missing as of Thursday morning. Rescue teams resumed aerial and ground searches at dawn, but damaged roads, disrupted communications, and deep mud layers have severely hampered access to affected villages and camps.

According to Nepalese police data released at 8:15 a.m. local time, 165 bodies were recovered along the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli, and Narayani river systems, with many bodies carried hundreds of kilometers downstream. The dead were found across several districts, including 65 in Chitwan, 27 in Dhading, 26 in eastern Nawalparasi, 20 in Gorkha, 12 in Nuwakot, and nine in Tanahu. Police spokesperson Avi Narayan Kapela warned the death toll is expected to rise as searches continue.

Currently, 826 people remain unaccounted for in Nepal, including 579 tourists and pilgrims, over 400 of whom are foreign nationals. Among the missing are 44 soldiers, 28 police officers, 13 armed police personnel, and 162 residents from Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts. The foreign missing include at least 47 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons, and 24 Canadians, many en route to the sacred Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in Tibet. So far, 123 people have been rescued from Timure town, including 94 Nepalese and 29 foreigners. Hospitals are treating at least 41 injured individuals.

On the Tibetan side, the situation worsened with 558 people still missing, including 260 foreigners, and only two villagers rescued in Gyirong County. The Chinese military has joined rescue efforts with personnel, dogs, boats, and equipment. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered maximum efforts to find the missing. Infrastructure damage is extensive, with roads, power lines, and communications destroyed.

Initial reports of a 4.4 magnitude earthquake causing the disaster were disproven by the US Geological Survey, which identified the event as a massive collapse of ice and rock from a glacier about 20 kilometers northeast of the Rasuwagadhi-Gyirong border. This collapse blocked the Lende River, creating a temporary lake whose natural dam burst, unleashing a destructive flood of water, mud, and debris downstream.

An Israeli citizen traveling in Tibet with an organized group remains missing. Israeli authorities, including ZAKA, the Israeli embassy in Nepal, and the Foreign Ministry, are coordinating with local officials. No Israelis have been confirmed among the fatalities so far.

The Nepal Flood Forecasting Division stated there is currently no credible threat of another destructive flood, though heavy rains continue and river levels remain high. International aid has begun arriving, with India providing tents and emergency supplies, the US offering $500,000 in initial aid and disaster advisors, and the UN and Red Cross sending teams and equipment. The World Bank announced up to 25 billion Nepalese rupees will be available for emergency relief and reconstruction. Damage includes villages, schools, bridges, customs facilities, power stations, and transmission lines, with recovery expected to take years.