UDIN DHUNGA, Nepal — China’s Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday that mudslides in Tibet triggered by a glacial collapse have killed at least three people and left 558 missing, while Nepalese police said at least 162 people were killed after massive flash floods swept through communities along the Nepal-China border a day earlier.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that 260 of the 558 people missing in Tibet were foreigners. Two villagers were rescued, while at least three people had been confirmed dead as of Thursday morning.
The disaster in Nepal and Tibet is not an isolated event. The Lhende Khola river system has now flooded twice in just 14 months, underscoring the growing instability of the Himalayan ice system and the threat it poses to communities, infrastructure and water supplies across one of the world’s most densely populated regions.
The region experienced similar flash floods in August last year, when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed amid high temperatures. Nine people were killed, while critical infrastructure, including a bridge linking Nepal and China, was damaged. Drone footage from Nepal showed roads destroyed and buildings buried beneath torrents of water the color of wet cement.
The region’s steep valleys serve as vital economic lifelines and travel corridors, but they become extremely vulnerable when disasters strike. Images from the latest flooding showed what appeared to be the second floors of buildings in Nepal’s badly affected Nuwakot district covered in mud after the torrent swept through. Debris was left hanging from tree branches and power lines, vehicles were buried, and stunned survivors were coated in mud. Flooding also brought travel to a standstill in several areas, leaving residents with little time to escape.
“When I reached Dhunge Bazaar, within half an hour, the flood came and damaged the entire market. People were preparing to go to the office then,” resident Shoyam Rajbhandari said. “We don’t know how many people are missing or dead.”
Nepalese officials earlier said 403 people, including 341 foreigners, had been reported missing. Sunil Sharma, a spokesperson for Nepal’s tourism board, said 133 of those missing were Indians on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus. Also reported missing were 47 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons and 24 Canadians. The U.S. State Department said it was aware of Americans affected by the disaster.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Thursday that at least 34 Australians on pilgrimages and hiking tours were missing. She said Nepal had not yet formally requested assistance, but Australia was coordinating with Nepalese authorities, the United Nations, the Red Cross and other organizations on a humanitarian response.
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry also revised its figures upward Thursday, saying 55 Malaysians in Kathmandu could not currently be reached because severe infrastructure disruptions were hampering communication efforts. The ministry said there had been no official confirmation of Malaysian casualties and that it was working closely with local authorities to determine their safety and whereabouts.
The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported a magnitude 4.4 earthquake early Wednesday, about 66 kilometers (41 miles) north of Kathmandu near the Nepal-China border. It later revised its assessment, saying the seismic event it detected was instead a magnitude 5.2 glacial collapse that sent debris downstream with catastrophic consequences for communities in its path.
The USGS said the determination was based on data from nearby seismic stations, long-period seismic waves and satellite imagery, and confirmed that no earthquake had occurred.
