Key facts
- Flash floods triggered by a massive mud and rockslide have killed at least 165 people in Nepal and Tibet.
- Nearly 1,500 people, including 800 foreigners, are missing.
- 53 Ukrainian citizens, including a group of 46 tourists, are among the missing.
- 33 British nationals are among the hundreds of foreign tourists missing.
- The USGS confirmed the event was caused by a glacial rock and mudslide, not an earthquake.
Flash floods triggered by a massive mud and rockslide have devastated parts of Nepal and Tibet, resulting in at least 165 confirmed deaths and nearly 1,500 people missing, the majority of whom are tourists. The disaster, which occurred on the Nepal-China border, has left authorities scrambling to account for hundreds of foreign nationals.
Among the missing are 53 Ukrainian citizens, including a group of 46 tourists. Additionally, 33 British nationals are among the hundreds of foreigners unaccounted for. Tour operators have confirmed losing contact with several groups, raising fears for their safety. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has confirmed that the event was caused by a glacial rock and mudslide, ruling out an earthquake.
Rescue efforts are underway in the mountainous Rasuwa region, a popular area for trekkers and pilgrims. The scale of the devastation is immense, with entire villages along a 40 to 50-kilometer stretch reportedly wiped out by the torrent of water and debris. The Nepal Centre for Disaster Management described the event as a “tsunami from the sky,” with an estimated 20 million cubic meters of excess water released into the river.
Several countries, including Australia and the UK, are coordinating rescue efforts and offering financial support to Nepal's flood response. The UK government has provided contact numbers for consular assistance and is working closely with Nepalese authorities to ascertain the full extent of the crisis.