Summary
More than 150 people have been killed in Nepal, and hundreds of tourists are missing, after a massive flash flood and mudslide
The missing tourists include more than 100 from India, 54 from the US, and 33 from the UK, as well as more than 100 from Nepal itself, according to Nepal's tourist board. The area is popular with pilgrims and trekkers
In Tibet, Chinese state media report three dead and 265 missing. CCTV from Tibet shows a wall of water and mud hitting buildings at a border crossing
Dozens of Nepalese police officers and army personnel are also missing, as well as power workers. My family was swept away in front of me, one woman tells us - she and her son survived by climbing to a rooftop
Authorities initially thought an earthquake may have triggered a landslide - the US Geological Survey now says the "seismic energy was instead generated by a landslide"
Are you affected by the floods?
India sends aid to Nepal, as US and EU say they 'stand ready' to supportpublished at 13:06
New
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among world leaders pledging support for Nepal
We've heard from several countries about the flooding in Nepal, as the country reports that more than 150 people have been killed in the disaster. Hundreds of tourists are among the missing, including 33 from the UK.
Here's what we've heard:
- India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says his country is "prepared to provide Nepal with all possible types of humanitarian assistance"
- US: The State Department says it is "in touch with the Government of Nepal" and "stand[s] ready to assist"
- EU: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the EU is ready to "mobilise further European assistance"
- UK: Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband says the UK's consular team is "working with local authorities on the emergency response and to support those affected"
- Canada: Prime Minister Mark Carney says the country "stands ready to provide support to Nepal"
- Pakistan: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says he is "deeply saddened" by the disaster and that his "heartfelt sympathies are with the bereaved families and all those affected by this tragedy"
Why are there so many tourists in flood-hit area?published at 12:41
Aparna Alluri
BBC News, DelhiThe area hit by the flood is home to two different high-altitude lakes that are also pilgrim sites revered by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains - Lake Mansarovar near Mount Kailash in Tibet, and the Gosaikunda lake in Nepal's Rasuwa district.
Tens of thousands of tourists make their way through Nepal to Lake Mansarovar annually.
This is the time of the year people, especially Indian tourists, tend to visit Lake Mansarovar, as well as take a sacred dip in the Gosaikunda lake.
Pradeep Pandit, the managing director of Alpine Kailash Trek, tells me it is a hugely popular route and tourists do it around this time of the month, when they can see a full moon, which is considered auspicious.
New Zealand still trying to establish if any Kiwis are missingpublished at 12:27
Authorities in New Zealand say they are still trying to establish if any Kiwi travellers are missing in Nepal.
“All New Zealanders in Nepal should follow the advice of local authorities at all times, including any evacuation orders," says a spokesperson for the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
"New Zealanders in Nepal should also let their family and friends know that they are safe when they are able to.”
UK embassy advises British nationals to 'remain alert'published at 12:12
The UK embassy in Nepal is advising British nationals affected by the floods to follow guidance from local authorities and to "remain alert to the changing situation".
"We are working closely with the Nepalese authorities following concerning reports of British nationals who are missing," Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Baroness Winterton adds in a statement.
Canada's PM offers assistance as 24 Canadian nationals unaccounted forpublished at 11:59
Image source, ReutersCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada "stands ready to provide support to Nepal" after the deadly flash floods.
"The flash floods along Nepal’s Bhotekoshi River are absolutely devastating," he writes on X.
Canadians are thinking of all those in distress right now, those who have lost a loved one, and all those who are still waiting for answers."
He adds that he is asking Canadians in the region to register their presence in the region as soon as possible
A tourism board spokesman in Nepal says that 24 Canadians have been reported missing.
Videos show people scrambling uphill to escape flash floodpublished at 11:44
By Emma Pengelly and Charlotte Green
Warning: this post contains distressing content
More videos continue to emerge from the flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border. The latest videos confirmed by BBC Verify show people trying to escape the floodwaters by climbing hillsides near the village of Betrawati in Nepal.
In the first verified clip, more than a dozen people can be seen fleeing uphill through trees, as the flood surges through the valley.
Within seconds, the raging water engulfs houses which have been built along the Trishuli river, as people continue to scramble uphill.
The second video shows the moment the flood sweeps through Betrawati itself. A line of people can be seen climbing a hillside as water engulfs the village, many crying out in distress.
Image source, XWatch: Race to save lives with hundreds still missingpublished at 11:33
The true scale of the disaster and the number of casualties is still emerging, after a flash flood tore through villages on the Nepal-Tibet border.
Here's the latest from Azadeh Moshiri, our South Asia correspondent:
Media caption, 'Race to save lives' after flash flood on Nepal-Tibet border
WHO says it is providing 'essential emergency medical supplies'published at 11:22
Image source, ReutersThe World Health Organization's operation in Nepal has "mobilized and dispatched essential emergency medical supplies", according to its director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
He says "selfless" rescuers have his "greatest respect and gratitude".
It follows an earlier post on X, in which the organisation said it was providing "medicines" and "multipurpose tents".
The UN agency also said it was committed to "monitoring public health risks", "strengthening disease surveillance", and ensuring communities could continue to access essential healthcare services.
Photos show aid leaving India for Nepalpublished at 11:10
An Indian government official says the country has sent 10 tonnes of aid to Nepal to assist with the emergency response.
"Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and all those affected. In face of this challenge, India stands with Nepal and its people," says the country's external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in a post on X.
Shared alongside this are photos of aid being loaded onto aircraft destined for Nepal.
Image source, X/@DrSJaishankar
Image source, X/@DrSJaishankar
Image source, X/@DrSJaishankarSearch and rescue operation to continue overnight - Nepal PM's officepublished at 11:00
Image source, LightRocket via Getty ImagesImage caption, Prime Minister of Nepal Balendra Shah, pictured in April
The office of Nepal’s prime minister says search and rescue efforts by the country’s army will continue overnight.
In a statement, it says 1,697 personnel have been deployed, while a further 656 have been kept on standby for additional operations.
Six military helicopters rescued 94 people during the day, while five civilian helicopters rescued 12 others. Ground teams rescued a further 27 people, it says.
The office also says 800kg of tents and 200kg of medical supplies were delivered to the affected areas.
A large number of people stranded above Timure will be evacuated by air Thursday morning, the office adds.
What can trigger a landslide?published at 10:51
Mark Poynting
Climate and science journalistInitial reports from Nepal had suggested that an earthquake may have triggered the ice avalanche and landslide.
The US Geological Survey, which studies earthquakes, has now said that further analysis indicates “that the seismic energy was instead generated by a landslide” by itself.
Landslides or avalanches can have various triggers. One possibility is that water - either from rainfall or melting ice - may have destabilised the ground or ice.
Climate change is known to be driving faster glacier melt in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, but scientists say it is too soon to pinpoint its role in this specific event.
In a steep, mountainous and glaciated region like Nepal, hazards often act in chains, with one hazard increasing the chances of another one occurring, says Martha Day, a hydrological researcher at Imperial College. Scientists are now trying to piece together the order of events.
They’ll be looking at satellite images of exactly where the landslide occurred, whether any glacial lakes suddenly drained, and where the river might have become blocked - as well as data on recent rainfall.
Death toll rises to 157 - Nepal policepublished at 10:41
BreakingIn an update, Nepal’s police say 157 bodies have been found in the country following the flooding.
The previous update from authorities put this figure at 100 people.
Dogs and drones deployed for Nepal's search and rescuepublished at 10:30
Image source, EPA/ShutterstockImage caption, A rescue worker in Devighat village in the flood-hit Nuwakot district of Nepal
Nepal police say multiple teams have been deployed to the flood-affected area to carry out search and rescue operations, distribute relief, and record deaths.
A canine team and four drones have also been mobilised for the search and rescue effort, the force says.
According to its statement, 28 police officers in Rasuwa are still missing, and efforts to find them and other missing people will continue.
The public is requested "not to go to river and stream banks, flood-affected areas and risky places" and to follow the information and instructions issued by the government of Nepal and security agencies, it says.
US embassy 'working closely' with authorities in Nepal to assist Americans - State Departmentpublished at 10:19
The Trump administration "has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans", a US State Department spokesperson tells the BBC.
They say they are aware of US citizens affected by the floods and are "closely tracking the situation".
The embassy "is working closely with local tour agencies and local authorities to assist Americans in the affected areas", the spokesperson adds.
As it stands, 54 US tourists are known to be among the missing, according to figures from Nepal's tourist board confirmed by police.
Nepali officials say ice fall may have triggered massive volume of waterpublished at 10:10
Navin Singh Khadka
Environment correspondent, BBC World Service
Image source, EPA/ShutterstockWhenever there is a flood like this in the Himalayas, one question that comes up spontaneously is: what caused it?
And the problem often is there is no definitive answer instantly. The difficult terrain of the Himalayas including in Tibet, where some say the flood originated, and where there is hardly any human presence, is the main reason.
Experts therefore try to analyse satellite images, but monsoon clouds have not been so helpful this time, they say.
Officials with Nepal's department of meteorology and hydrology, however, have told me that some images they have seen show a massive chunk of ice (perhaps a part of a glacier) that seems to have collapsed from a mountain in the Tibetan side, bringing down rocks and other sediments with them.
That, they say, may have generated some volume of water because of the friction between the rocks and ice when they were falling down. The remaining debris of rocks and sediments created a dam on the Lhende river below, obstructing its flow initially but ultimately causing it to breach.
Some Nepali academics in China say they have been given similar accounts by some Chinese experts. But the Chinese news agency Xinhua in a post on X has called it a mudslide in Nepal.
Earlier, there were also suspicions of a collapse of a glacial lake but some glaciologists are ruling that out.
The real reason will be known once clear satellite images are obtained and verified by multiple sources.
We will do 'everything we can' to support Britons affected by flooding, says Burnhampublished at 09:55
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesUK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says his government will do "everything we can" to support British nationals after the flash flooding on the Nepal-Tibet border.
Calling the scenes "devastating", Burnham says in a statement that his "thoughts are with all those affected including the families and loved ones of British nationals missing in this tragedy".
“We will do everything we can to support British nationals impacted in the region and are in touch with the relevant authorities to offer support," he says.
British nationals in the region should follow guidance from local authorities as well as travel advice from the British government, he adds.
Nepal death toll from floods rises to 100 - policepublished at 09:43
BreakingNepal police says 100 people have died in the country as of 20:30 local time (14:45 GMT) due to the flash floods.
Those include one in Rasuwa, 11 in Nuwakot, 18 in Dhading, 33 in Chitwan, 19 in Gorkha, seven in Tanahun, and 11 in Nawalpur.
New analysis indicates no earthquake prior to flash flooding - US Geological Surveypublished at 09:37
Image source, EPA/ShutterstockFurther analysis indicates that a landslide preceded the flash flooding in Nepal and there was no earthquake, says the US Geological Survey (USGS).
"This event was initially reported as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake," it says.
"Additional analysis of long period seismic waves indicate that the seismic energy was instead generated by a landslide."
Earlier, Nepal's foreign minister had told parliament that preliminary information indicated that an earthquake hit Nepal, which then triggered a landslide and resulted in flash flooding.
Flooding causes more than £70m in damage, Nepal official tells BBCpublished at 09:30
Image source, EPA/ShutterstockInitial estimates show that roads and bridges worth more than 15bn Nepalese rupees (£72.18m, $98.33m) were damaged by the floods, a government official tells BBC Nepali.
Earlier, we reported that 19 bridges and 40km (25 miles) of road had been damaged.
Vijay Jaisi, head of the Roads Department, also says portable bridges will be installed at sites where bridges collapsed from Thursday.
Aftermath of flash floods in Nepal's Nuwakot district - in picturespublished at 09:15
Earlier, we brought you the latest pictures from Nepal's Nuwakot district, where the Nepalese foreign minister has warned there is still a risk.
Here are some more images from the scene, showing houses and roads submerged in mud, as well as residents examining the extent of the damage.
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Reuters
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