Key facts
- An avalanche of ice and rock triggered flash floods in Nepal on Wednesday.
- At least eight people were killed.
- 384 tourists are reported missing, including 291 from India, the US, UK, and Malaysia.
- Villages, roads, and hydropower projects were destroyed.
- Nepal has requested rescue assistance from India and China.
An avalanche of ice and rock triggered massive flash floods in Nepal on Wednesday, killing at least eight people and leaving hundreds missing. The floods caused widespread damage to villages, roads, and hydropower projects. Authorities reported 384 tourists missing, including 291 from India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. Nepal has requested rescue assistance from India and China. The Bhotekoshi River overflowed, destroying several villages and infrastructure. The Nepal Tourism Board indicated that most of the missing were likely Indian pilgrims en route to Mount Kailash. South Korean citizens working on a hydroelectric plant were also among the missing. Similar flash floods occurred last August due to a glacial lake overflow from Tibet, resulting in nine deaths and infrastructure damage. Experts suggest the recent flood may have originated from a glacier avalanche, exacerbated by warming temperatures in the Himalayas, which are heating up faster than the rest of the planet due to human-caused climate change. Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are melting at an accelerated rate, with ice loss doubling since 2000.