Nepal floods: More than 270 killed, nearly 1,400 missing

Catastrophic flash floods originating from a glacial collapse have resulted in at least 392 deaths and over 1,400 people reported missing in Nepal and Tibet. The disaster struck Wednesday when a wall of mud and rock swept through Himalayan communities, including villages, in a corridor popular with trekkers and pilgrims connecting Kathmandu with Lhasa.

Rescue teams are actively searching for survivors on Thursday, a day after the disaster, but local authorities warn that further disasters may occur as a lake formed by the floodwaters threatens to burst. Nearly 910 people are missing in Nepal, 517 of them foreign nationals, while in Tibet, 558 people are missing, including 260 foreigners.

The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered. Nepalese officials reported that foreign tourists, including 34 Australians, 33 Britons, 24 Canadians, and eight Germans, are among those missing. China's Foreign Ministry stated that nearly 100 Chinese nationals are unaccounted for. As the extent of the disaster became clear, locals described a torrent of mud rushing toward them, eventually rising and sweeping away entire settlements.

Thousands of Nepalese army and police personnel, along with aid from India and international organizations like the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, are mobilized to assist the affected communities.