Key facts
- Avalanche and flash floods on August 26 killed at least 160 people.
- Hundreds of tourists, workers, and locals are missing.
- The event caused an energy equivalent of a 5.2 magnitude earthquake.
- 19 bridges and nearly 40 kilometers of road were swept away.
- 403 people, including 341 foreign nationals, were reported missing.
A massive rock-ice avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26 triggered devastating flash floods in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, killing at least 160 people and leaving hundreds missing in Nepal and China. The event, described as a "massive geophysical event," generated an energy equivalent of a 5.2 magnitude earthquake. Drone footage revealed destroyed roads and buried buildings, with 19 bridges and nearly 40 kilometers of road washed away. Officials reported 403 people missing in Nepal, including foreign nationals from India, the United States, Australia, Britain, and Canada, as well as Nepali citizens. A second landslide occurred hours later, raising concerns about unstable slopes. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency of such events to climate change accelerating glacier melt in the Himalayas.