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1h ago

Flash Flood From Tibet Kills About 160 in Nepal as Hundreds Are Missing

Investigators point to a glacial ice‑rock collapse or glacial lake outburst as the likely trigger, and officials warn a still‑blocked upstream lake could send further surges.

A CCTV footage shows people running away as wall of mud and water destroys buildings in a valley at Nepal-China border, in Gyirong, Tibet region, China August 26, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. NEWS USE ONLY. VERIFICATION: - Buildings, river, road layout and terrain matched archive and satellite imagery on Tibet-China border - Coordinates: 28.280317840785155, 85.37761006909693 - Date confirmed by timestamp of the CCTV footage - Both Nepali and Chinese government reported on the mudslide - Rasuwa district administrator told Reuters that there could be heavy casualties or loss of property on August 26 - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged "all-out" search efforts for the missing as well as stronger monitoring and early warning systems to prevent secondary disasters on August 26
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Overview

  • A debris‑filled surge that began on the Tibet side swept into Nepal’s Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers and devastated border towns, destroying homes, bridges and hydropower sites.
  • Nepal Police report roughly 157–160 confirmed deaths and hundreds of people missing, with tourism authorities and other tallies placing the unaccounted in the hundreds to 750+, including at least 133 Indian nationals tied largely to the Kailash Mansarovar route.
  • Investigators have shifted from an initial earthquake theory to preliminary findings that an ice‑rock collapse or a glacial lake outburst flood likely produced the high‑energy surge, and seismic readings were reinterpreted as the collapse’s signal.
  • Large rescue operations continue with Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and police deploying helicopters and ground teams while India, China and other countries coordinate relief, consular help and material aid.
  • Washed‑away roads, damaged hydropower plants and a partly blocked river upstream raise the risk of further downstream flooding into Indian river systems and complicate access for search teams.