Top developments on Nepal flash flood: Death toll hits over 400, what’s next?

China and Nepal issued warnings of further flooding risks on Friday as they searched for more than 1,400 people missing after a catastrophic flood and landslides swept through villages along the Himalayan border. Emergency teams have recovered 392 bodies following the disaster, which submerged homes, destroyed bridges and dams, and swept away vehicles.

Many of the missing individuals are foreign tourists, including trekkers and Hindu pilgrims heading to Mount Kailash, Tibet's sacred snow-capped peak. According to a report released on Thursday, four South Africans remain among the hundreds of tourists still unaccounted for.

The disaster was triggered by a glacial collapse that released a massive flow of icy debris. Climate change is exacerbating the risk of glacial lake floods and collapses worldwide. Rescuers are working tirelessly to locate survivors, with Nepali soldiers utilizing sniffer dogs to search through the debris. However, their efforts are hampered by the risk of additional floods as water trapped by the debris may overflow.

Chinese authorities have warned that a lake formed by the mudslide poses a high risk of breaching, potentially releasing floodwaters downstream. Nepal's Flood Forecasting Division issued a special notice, cautioning of the growing lake behind the debris and urging extreme caution. In a makeshift Nepali hospital, survivors anxiously await news about their missing loved ones.

Kula Priya, who lost her eldest son in the flood, expressed her desperation for her son's return. She emphasized that her sole wish is to have her son back, regardless of wealth.

Nepali police have recovered 389 bodies, and 910 people, including 517 foreign tourists, remain missing or out of contact in the country. Beijing reported that 100 Chinese citizens are also missing. Indians constitute the largest group of missing foreigners, while the United States stated that 90 of its citizens are unaccounted for.

Across the border in Tibet, where information is primarily sourced from Chinese authorities, officials say hundreds are missing, and three fatalities have been reported. Chinese authorities have evacuated 555 stranded tourists and 499 local residents from the region.

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah urged the nation to stand together in response to the disaster. He toured affected areas and instructed authorities to provide immediate relief to displaced families and open blocked roads. Other foreigners unaccounted for include citizens from Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, and South Korea, according to Nepal's tourism board.

The sudden rush of mud and debris resembled an inland tsunami, traveling nearly 105 miles into Nepal from the Chinese side of the border, according to environmental historian Ruth Gamble of Australia's La Trobe University.

Buddhist spiritual leader and exiled Tibetan figure the Dalai Lama has pledged to pray for all those who lost their lives in the disaster.