Rescue teams waded through thick mud on Thursday, searching for more than 1,400 people still missing after flash floods and landslides devastated the Nepal-Tibet border region. The death toll has climbed to 392, with entire villages swept away by a torrent of freezing water, mud, and debris that struck earlier this week.
The disaster, described by experts as an "inland tsunami," was triggered by a glacial collapse that sent a massive flow of icy debris downstream, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The event initially registered as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake, but seismic analysis revealed it was a glacial collapse and debris flow with catastrophic impacts on both sides of the border.
Among the missing are hundreds of foreign tourists, including trekkers in Nepal and Hindu pilgrims returning from the sacred Mount Kailash in Tibet. Nepal's tourism board confirmed that citizens from Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, and South Korea are among those out of contact. The United States said 90 of its citizens are unaccounted for, while Beijing reported 100 Chinese nationals missing in Nepal.
Rescue efforts and growing fears
Nepali soldiers, aided by sniffer dogs, are scouring the affected areas for survivors and bodies buried under the suffocating sludge. In the border town of Timure, Omkar Joshi, a 35-year-old customs agent who was rescued from a hilltop, described the scene to AFP: "It is a giant graveyard. All that is left are sand and pebbles, soaked red by human blood."
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah toured the hardest-hit areas on Thursday, urging local authorities to provide immediate relief to displaced families and to clear blocked roads. His office said he emphasized the need for swift action to prevent further casualties.
In Tibet, Chinese state media reported that the "mudslide disaster" at Gyirong Port killed three people, with 558 others, including 260 foreigners, missing. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited the area on Thursday to oversee relief operations, and nearly 800 emergency workers, along with sniffer dogs and speed boats, have been mobilized.
The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, expressed his condolences, saying he would "pray for all those who have lost their lives."
Climate change and the risk of more floods
Scientists warn that climate change is accelerating glacier melt worldwide, increasing the frequency and severity of glacial lake floods and collapses. The USGS noted that the glacial collapse caused seismic activity and had "catastrophic" downstream impacts in Nepal and Tibet.
Fears of a second flood are mounting, as water trapped by immense piles of debris blocks the valley upstream. Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development in Kathmandu, warned that a blockage still lodged on the Nepal-China border river could give way. Kathmandu's Flood Forecasting Division issued a special notice on Thursday, warning of a growing lake behind the debris and urging extreme caution.
Environmental historian Ruth Gamble of La Trobe University in Australia compared the sudden rush of mud and debris to an inland tsunami, traveling nearly 170 kilometers south into Nepal. The scale of the destruction has drawn international attention, with aid promises beginning to trickle in.
Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru, who was in Tibet, broke down in a video message to his followers, describing how a group of Hindu pilgrims returning from Mount Kailash were caught in the floods at an immigration post. "The entire group was there in the building," he said, weeping, as anguished wails of other pilgrims were heard in the background.
As rescue operations continue, the focus remains on finding the missing and preventing further loss of life. The disaster underscores the urgent need for global action on climate change, as glacial hazards pose an increasing threat to mountain communities and travelers alike. For European trekkers and tourists planning trips to the region, essential guidance is available to navigate the evolving situation.
