Key facts
- Flash floods in Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday killed at least 359 people and left over 1,300 missing.
- A new lake formed at the flood site is swelling and at risk of bursting.
- Infrastructure damage, including roads and bridges, is hindering rescue efforts.
- Hundreds of tourists from India, the US, Britain, Australia, and Canada are among the missing.
- The US Geological Survey stated the event was caused by glacial collapse, not an earthquake.
International rescue and aid efforts are underway in Nepal and Tibet following devastating flash floods that occurred on Wednesday. The torrents, triggered by a glacial collapse, have killed at least 359 people and left over 1,300 missing, with hundreds of foreign tourists among those unaccounted for. The destruction of roads and bridges is severely hampering rescue operations, while authorities warn that a newly formed lake at the disaster site is swelling and could burst, posing a further threat.
In Nepal, rescue teams have found bodies downstream, and injured individuals are being transported to Kathmandu for medical care. The Nepali army has conducted helicopter rescues. Videos from the disaster show a massive wall of water overwhelming villages, sweeping away homes, roads, and power plants. The UN has allocated initial disaster funds for emergency medical care, shelter, and water.
On the Tibetan side, Chinese authorities have reported fewer deaths but a significant number of missing persons, including foreign nationals. The region's tight control over information makes it difficult to ascertain the full scale of the destruction. Human Rights Watch has raised concerns about disaster risk reduction and called for greater access for information and international researchers.
Survivors recount harrowing experiences of the floods, with one man losing his wife and four children. The disaster highlights concerns about the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related events in the Himalayan region, with NGOs emphasizing the urgent need for medical aid, food, shelter, and hygiene kits for affected communities.