Rescue teams and military helicopters are racing to find hundreds of missing people along the mountainous Nepal-China border after catastrophic flash floods tore through the region, killing more than 390 people and leaving over 1,400 others unaccounted for. Officials say the disaster began when a wall of ice, mud, and rock from a collapsing glacier surged into a mountain river, with early reports suggesting an earthquake may have triggered the collapse.
The devastation has been especially severe in Nepal's Nuwakot district, where images showed entire buildings buried up to their second floors in thick mud, vehicles swallowed whole, and stunned survivors caked head to toe in debris. Nepalese officials said dozens of bridges were destroyed and nearly 25 miles of roads were damaged, severely complicating rescue efforts. The Nepalese army has so far rescued more than 100 people by helicopter.
Across the border in Tibet, authorities reported at least three deaths and 558 people missing, with a two-lane roadway in Shigatse prefecture completely buried under debris. Satellite footage also revealed a new lake forming and expanding along the China-Nepal border in the aftermath.
Among the missing are 517 foreigners, according to Nepal's tourism board, including travelers from India, the United States, Ukraine, the UK, and dozens of other countries. Many are believed to have been on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus and Buddhists.
President Trump addressed the disaster from the Oval Office, calling the destruction "terrible to see" and confirming the U.S. has offered Nepal "anything they want" in support.