At least 273 people have been killed after a glacier collapse triggered devastating floods and mudslides along the Nepal-Tibet border, while more than 1,300 people remain missing, according to authorities cited by the Associated Press (AP).
Nepal has recorded the overwhelming majority of the deaths, with 270 people killed and 826 others missing. In Tibet, three people have died and another 558 are unaccounted for, highlighting the scale of the disaster across the Himalayan region.
Rescue teams continued searching Thursday for survivors and missing people as damaged roads and destroyed bridges hampered access to the worst-hit areas. Nepalese officials said dozens of bridges were washed away and nearly 40 kilometers of roads were damaged by the floods.
The Nepalese army has deployed helicopters to evacuate people trapped by the flooding, rescuing more than 100 people from affected areas. Dozens of injured survivors have also been transported to Kathmandu for advanced medical treatment, while bodies have been recovered hundreds of kilometers downstream.
The disaster has also left hundreds of foreigners missing. Nepal’s Tourism Board said 517 of the missing people in Nepal were foreigners, including 178 Indian nationals and more than 60 US citizens. Many are believed to have been traveling toward Mount Kailash in Tibet, a major pilgrimage destination for Hindus, Buddhists and followers of other faiths.
In Tibet, authorities are also conducting rescue operations after a mudslide struck near the Gyirong border crossing. Chinese authorities warned that continued rainfall could trigger further landslides and said a barrier lake formed by the disaster was overflowing and could potentially burst.
Experts believe a glacier collapse or avalanche triggered the sudden flooding. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said water levels along the Trishuli River rose by as much as nine meters within half an hour. Scientists have increasingly linked the instability of Himalayan glaciers to rising temperatures caused by human-driven climate change, raising concerns about the growing threat to communities and infrastructure across the region.
