Death toll nears 400, rescuers search for 1,400 missing after Nepal-Tibet floods

In Bidur, Nepal, rescue workers combed through mud searching for over 1,400 people missing after flash floods and landslides hit the Nepal-Tibet border, as the death toll climbed to 392. Entire villages were swept away by a wall of freezing water and mud, destroying homes, bridges, and dams. Many of the missing are foreign tourists, including trekkers and Hindu pilgrims to Mount Kailash, one of the world's most sacred sites.

The USGS determined the disaster was caused by a glacial collapse, with climate change increasing the risk of glacial lake floods and collapses. Nepal's emergency teams raced to save survivors, while Nepali soldiers used sniffer dogs to locate bodies buried under the debris. Nepali police recovered 389 bodies, and 910 people, including 517 foreign tourists, were unaccounted for in the country.

China reported 100 Chinese citizens missing, with another 558 people missing, including 260 foreigners, in Tibet. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited the area to oversee relief efforts. The sudden rush of mud and debris was described as an "inland tsunami," traveling nearly 170km into Nepal. Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama vowed to pray for the victims, while Chinese officials mobilized nearly 800 emergency workers and sniffer dogs to aid the rescue.

Authorities warned of a potential second flood due to water trapped by debris blocking the valley. Hindu pilgrims returning from a holy pilgrimage to Mount Kailash were among those missing, with their entire group caught in the floods at an immigration post.