Key facts
- At least 579 people have been killed and nearly 2,000 remain unaccounted for in Nepal and Tibet.
- The disaster was caused by a glacial collapse, registering a magnitude of 5.2.
- Floodwaters and debris traveled approximately 62 miles downstream, impacting towns popular with tourists and pilgrims.
- Rescue operations are challenged by weather and the risk of secondary flooding from a newly formed lake.
- Foreign nationals from India, China, the US, Ukraine, Malaysia, Australia, the UK, and Canada are among the missing.
Catastrophic floods along the Nepal-Tibet border have resulted in at least 579 fatalities and left nearly 2,000 people unaccounted for, according to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. The disaster, which occurred early Wednesday, was caused by a glacial collapse that registered a magnitude of 5.2, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed. The powerful floodwaters and debris traveled approximately 62 miles downstream, sweeping through towns popular with mountaineering tourists and pilgrims in northern Nepal and impacting areas like the Rasuwagadhi Border checkpoint and Gyirong Port.
Rescue efforts are being hampered by heavy rain, unpredictable weather, and the risk of secondary flooding. Scientists are assessing whether a temporary blockage in the Trishuli River could lead to another flood, and China has warned of a high risk that a newly formed lake, holding an estimated 2.5 million cubic meters of water, could burst its banks. Rescue operations were briefly suspended on Friday due to the lake overflowing.
Among the missing are foreign nationals from India, China, the US, Ukraine, Malaysia, Australia, the UK, and Canada. At least 90 Americans remain unaccounted for, with three confirmed rescued and no US citizen deaths reported as of Thursday. Many of the missing Americans were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. The US has pledged $500,000 in humanitarian assistance through Catholic Relief Services.