KATHMANDU
Flash floods and mudslides swept through mountainous areas along the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday, killing at least 270 people and leaving nearly 1,500 missing across Nepal and China's Tibet region following a glacier collapse high in the Himalayas.
The disaster began at about 8:40 a.m. local time. Initial reports confirmed 157 fatalities in Nepal and three in Tibet, with rescue operations underway in both nations. The floods engulfed villages and destroyed critical infrastructure in the affected regions.
A substantial section of a glacier broke away at an elevation of about 5,200 meters (17,000 feet). The ice mass fell approximately 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) onto the valley floor, collecting rock and sediment as it descended.
The resulting ice-rock avalanche struck the Lhende River in Tibet, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of the Nepal-China border crossing. The debris temporarily blocked the river, forming a natural dam that eventually gave way and released a powerful surge of water downstream.
Early assessments suggested a magnitude 4.4 earthquake triggered the collapse. However, the United States Geological Survey later determined the major signal was generated by the landslide itself, not an earthquake. The landslide registered as a magnitude 5.2 event.
The floods destroyed 19 bridges and washed away approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) of roads, severely hindering access to affected areas. The initial surge entered the Lhende Khola, which feeds into the Bhote Koshi and subsequently the Trishuli River. Water levels in the Trishuli River rose by as much as nine meters as the floodwaters moved south through Nepal.
Of the nearly 1,500 people reported missing, 826 are from Nepal, including almost 600 foreign tourists. In Tibet's Gyirong County, 558 people are missing, among them 260 foreign nationals, according to Chinese state media.
Nepalese soldiers and rescue teams have been deployed with helicopters, drones and search dogs. High river levels, damaged roads and deep mud have complicated efforts to reach the most severely affected areas.
At least 65 people are being treated for injuries in local hospitals and in Kathmandu. On Aug. 26, 13 injured individuals from Rasuwa were airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment.
Families gathered outside hospitals like the trauma center at Bir Hospital in Kathmandu, checking lists of injured individuals and reporting missing loved ones. Keshav Prasad Baral, a 68-year-old survivor receiving treatment in Nuwakot district, reported his wife is among the missing.
Official were caught off-guard by the floods, as there was no rain in the area at the time of the disaster. The event underscores the risks facing the rapidly warming Himalayan region, where glaciers are vulnerable to collapse.
