Helicopters and thousands of rescuers searched devastated Himalayan communities as officials warned the death toll could continue to rise.
TRISHULI, Nepal — Rescue teams searched battered Himalayan valleys Thursday after catastrophic flash floods killed at least 165 people and left nearly 1,500 missing across Nepal and China’s Tibet region, with hundreds of foreign tourists and pilgrims among those still unaccounted for.
The disaster struck Wednesday after a mass of glacial ice and rock collapsed into a river system near the Nepal-China border, sending mud, water and debris through mountain settlements and transportation corridors. The U.S. Geological Survey initially detected seismic activity in the area but later determined that the signal came from the glacial collapse and resulting debris flow rather than an earthquake. The flood destroyed homes, roads, bridges and power projects as it moved downstream.
Nepali authorities said 826 people remained missing Thursday, including almost 600 foreigners, as helicopters searched isolated areas and delivered emergency supplies. The missing included citizens of more than two dozen countries. Officials listed 177 people from India, 63 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 25 from Canada among those unaccounted for. Many travelers were in the region for trekking or pilgrimages connected with Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet.
Across the border, the number of people reported missing in Tibet’s Gyirong County had risen to 558 by Thursday, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. That figure included about 260 foreign nationals. Chinese authorities had earlier confirmed three deaths in the Gyirong area, while officials continued working to verify casualty figures. The disaster damaged the Gyirong border port, an important crossing on the route between Tibet and Nepal.
More than 5,000 Nepali army and police personnel were mobilized for search and rescue operations, while helicopters carried survivors and dropped tents, food and other emergency supplies into areas cut off by damaged roads. Families searching for missing relatives gathered near a Nepali army facility being used as a base for helicopter operations. Thick layers of mud covered homes, vehicles and sections of communities along the river corridor.
An initial review of satellite imagery by Nepal disaster officials indicated that a landslide of ice and rock entered the Lhende River roughly 20 kilometers northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border crossing. The U.S. Geological Survey said seismic data and satellite imagery showed that the event previously described as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake was instead energy generated by a major glacial collapse followed by a debris flow. That finding changed the early understanding of what triggered the disaster.
Authorities also faced concern about further flooding. Chinese officials identified a dammed lake upstream in Gyirong that could pose an additional risk and complicate rescue work. President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out search for missing people, the evacuation of residents in threatened areas and stronger monitoring to guard against secondary disasters. China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said 111 members of a national rescue team were being sent to reinforce operations in Tibet.
In Nepal, the flood moved through steep valleys along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems, reaching communities far downstream from the initial collapse. Roads and bridges were swept away, limiting access to some of the hardest-hit settlements. The terrain also complicated helicopter operations and ground searches. Officials said the number of confirmed deaths was expected to rise as rescuers reached additional areas and searched through debris.
The scale of the missing-person count also changed rapidly as communications were restored and authorities compared information from police, tourism officials, local governments and tour operators. Earlier Wednesday, Nepal had reported 403 people missing, including 341 foreigners. By Thursday, authorities were reporting 826 missing on the Nepali side alone. The larger figure underscored the difficulty of establishing a complete picture in communities where roads, electrical service and communications had been disrupted.
International assistance began arriving Thursday. India sent disaster-relief supplies including temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, lamps and medicines. The United States announced $500,000 in assistance and said it was sending a disaster-response adviser. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies released emergency funding for the Nepal Red Cross, while United Nations teams and the World Health Organization also moved personnel or medical supplies toward affected areas.
Search operations were continuing on both sides of the border Thursday, with authorities focused on reaching isolated settlements, locating missing residents and travelers and monitoring upstream hazards. With nearly 1,500 people still listed as missing and large areas difficult to reach, officials cautioned that casualty and missing-person totals remained subject to significant change.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 27, 2026.