Rescue teams are continuing their search for more than 1,400 people missing after flash floods and landslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border on Thursday, August 27th, 2026. The death toll has risen to 392, with entire villages swept away.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) attributed the disaster to a glacial collapse that triggered a vast flow of icy debris. Environmental historian Ruth Gamble from Australia's La Trobe University described the sudden rush of mud and debris as "like an inland tsunami," traveling nearly 170 kilometers south into Nepal.

Many of the missing are foreign tourists, including trekkers in Nepal and Hindu pilgrims visiting Tibet's sacred Mount Kailash. Indians represent the largest group of missing foreigners, while the United States reported 90 of its citizens are out of contact. Beijing stated that 100 Chinese citizens are also missing in Nepal.

In Tibet, state media reported that the mudslide disaster at the Gyirong Port killed three people and left 558 people missing, including 260 foreigners. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited the area on Thursday to oversee relief efforts.

Omkar Joshi, a 35-year-old Nepali customs agent rescued from a hilltop in the border town of Timure, described the scene as "a giant graveyard," to the AFP news agency.

Authorities warn of the risk of further floods due to a blockage still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river. Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, said, "With a blockage still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river, authorities warn a second flood may occur."

Prime Minister Balendra Shah toured some of the hardest-hit areas and urged local authorities to continue relief work and open blocked roads.

Sources