Flood disaster leaves more than 1,300 missing across Nepal and Tibet

At least 359 people have died and more than 1,300 remain missing after catastrophic flash floods struck Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday. On Thursday, authorities warned that a lake formed where the torrents occurred was rising and could burst, putting residents and rescuers at further risk.

Rescue teams face damaged roads and bridges

The destruction of transport links has complicated searches in the mountainous region, which is used by trekkers and pilgrims. Rescue teams reported finding bodies hundreds of miles downstream in Nepal’s Chitwan district, near the Tibetan border.

Dozens of injured people were taken to Kathmandu for advanced medical care. People from the hard-hit districts of Nuwakot and Dhading gathered at an army training centre used as a helicopter-rescue base, while police recorded the names of missing relatives. Damaged hydroelectric infrastructure left the area without electricity.

A warning over the flood-formed lake

Nepal’s disaster authority appealed to residents and rescuers to stay away from the swelling lake. Chinese authorities said a barrier lake at the confluence of the Tsogyal and Purupqiangzangbu rivers was overflowing and could burst.

Early reports suggested an earthquake might have caused the floods by triggering a glacier collapse. The US Geological Survey later said the reported 4.4-magnitude event was instead a seismic shock generated by collapsing glacial rock and ice and the resulting debris flow; it said no earthquake had occurred. For additional context, see “Glacial collapse leaves at least 165 dead after Nepal-Tibet flood”.

Families search for missing relatives

More than 500 foreigners were among those missing in Nepal, including 177 people from India, 90 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 25 from Canada. Many victims were travelling on pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, a high-altitude site in Tibet revered by Hindus and Buddhists.

The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, described the floods as horrifying and said emergency teams had been mobilised. Plan International said affected children and families would need medical help, food, shelter and hygiene kits, while damaged water and sanitation systems could increase the risk of waterborne disease.