Nepal Flood Toll Nears 400 As Overflowing Lake Raises Fresh Fears; 290 Indian Nationals Missing

Rescue teams waded through mud on Thursday searching for more than 1,400 people missing after flash floods and landslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border, as the death toll rose to 392.

Entire villages were swept away as torrents of freezing water, mud and debris destroyed homes, bridges and roads.

Experts warned of further flooding as authorities scrambled to assess the damage and search for survivors. Many of the missing are foreign tourists, including trekkers in Nepal and Hindu pilgrims travelling to Tibet’s sacred Mount Kailash.

Death Toll Rises, Search Continues

Nepali police said 389 bodies had been recovered, while Chinese authorities reported three deaths and at least 558 people missing in Tibet. Nepal’s disaster agency said 910 people were unaccounted for, including at least 517

foreigners.

Across the border, China said 558 people were missing, including 260 foreigners, taking the combined number missing on both sides to 1,468.

290 Indian Nationals Uncontactable

Indians make up the largest group among the missing foreigners, many of them pilgrims travelling to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said 84 Indian nationals had been rescued, while 290 remained uncontactable. It said efforts were underway to trace them and ensure their safety.

Glacier Collapse Triggered Deluge

Nepal and China said a glacier collapse on Wednesday sent a huge torrent of rock, ice, mud and debris cascading through Himalayan river systems. The flood swept through villages and key infrastructure along a route linking Kathmandu with Lhasa that is popular with trekkers and pilgrims.

Early reports suggested an earthquake may have triggered the collapse. However, the US Geological Survey said a magnitude 4.4 event initially reported in the area was actually seismic energy generated by the collapse of glacial rock and ice, followed by a debris flow.

Fresh Flood Threat Emerges

The disaster has also left behind a new danger, with huge volumes of water trapped by debris.

Nepal’s disaster authority warned that a lake formed after debris blocked the Bhotekoshi River was rising and could burst. China, meanwhile, said about 3 million cubic metres of water — equivalent to around 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools — could flow into a dammed lake over the next three days.

Chinese state media said there was a high risk of a breach, with peak flow expected around September 1. “The volume of water is continuing to increase, and so is the risk,” Zhu Jinfeng, a researcher at China’s water resources ministry, told state broadcaster CCTV.

Climate expert Qianggong Zhang of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said the debris blockage meant another flood could be “imminent”.

Rainfall forecast over the coming week could further increase the danger, Chinese state media reported, citing the water resources ministry.

(With inputs from agencies)