168 dead, nearly 1,500 missing after flash floods hit Nepal-Tibet border

A sudden and destructive flash flood along the Nepal-Tibet border has killed at least 168 people and left nearly 1,500 others missing, according to international media reports.

Viral clips seen by TNX Africa show the torrent striking on Wednesday, August 26, after the lower part of a Himalayan glacier collapsed, sending a wall of ice, rock, mud and water down the Lhende Khola river valley.

The powerful flow swept away villages, destroyed roads and damaged power infrastructure, while cutting off electricity and communications across the affected areas.

The disaster has hit international travellers particularly hard, with the region serving as a popular route for hikers and pilgrims visiting sacred sites around Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.

This is insane footage of the massive mudslide at the Nepal-China border earlier today: the mudslide, originating from Nepal, seems to have basically completely obliterated the border port in Gyirong (吉隆), Shigatse City, Tibet/Xizang.

We're likely looking at one of the worst…

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) August 26, 2026

According to Reuters, Nepalese authorities have reported more than 1,000 people missing, including hundreds of foreign nationals.

The missing include citizens of India, the United States, Ukraine, Australia, Britain, Malaysia, Canada and South Korea.

Across the border in Tibet, Chinese authorities have reported 558 people missing, including 260 foreign nationals. Three deaths have been confirmed on the Tibetan side.

Rescue operations are underway on both sides of the border under difficult conditions. More than 5,000 army and police personnel have been mobilised in Nepal, with helicopters being used to evacuate survivors and deliver food, tents and other emergency supplies to cut-off areas.

China has also deployed fire and rescue teams, search dogs and other emergency personnel to the affected areas.

International organisations and foreign governments have begun offering assistance, with the United Nations, India and South Korea among those providing or coordinating relief.

Rescue teams continue to face major challenges, including power outages, damaged roads and heavy sediment left by the floods.

Authorities are also monitoring a dammed lake upstream, where accumulated debris has created a potential secondary hazard. Officials fear the lake could breach and trigger further flooding in already devastated communities downstream.

The disaster has left large parts of the affected region cut off, with rescue teams racing against time to locate survivors and account for those still missing.