Nepal flood death toll rises to 362
Devastating floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have killed at least 359 people, Nepali police said in an update, a day after the disaster along the Himalayan nation's border with Tibet.
"As of 5pm Thursday, 359 people have died," Nepal Police said in a statement. Chinese state media had earlier reported "major casualties" from a mudslide at a Tibet border hub with three dead, taking the total killed to at least 362.
Nepal floods highlight growing glacier risks in warming Himalayas
The deadly flash flood in Nepal on Wednesday was likely caused by a huge chunk of a glacier that broke off and temporarily dammed a river, according to preliminary investigations by scientists. That may have led to the backed-up water surging downstream with enormous force a few hours later, they suggested.
Scientists are still piecing together information from satellite and ground-level data to figure out exactly what happened to cause the flood.
© the broadcaster
🎥 Nepal flash flood: Disaster in a geological battleground zone
the broadcaster's Leela Jacinto takes a look at how the extreme geography of Nepal and Tibet, dominated by the Himilaya mountains, contributed to the initial confusion over the cause of catastrophic floods that have killed at least 180 people – now believed to be the result of a glacial collapse.
Nepal warns of fresh risk as lake in flood area threatens to burst
A lake formed at the site where the flood in Nepal occurred is rising and is at risk of bursting, the country's disaster authority said, as it appealed to residents and rescuers to stay away from the river banks.
The blockage of a river on Wednesday led to the lake's formation, the authority said.
Nepal's police say the death toll in massive flash floods has risen to at least 353
Tales of survival emerge as others wait for news of the missing amid ongoing rescue operations
Survivors from Nepal's flood-ravaged districts, some on stretchers, others gently supported by the shoulders, were airlifted to safety on Thursday as the constant roar of helicopters echoed across the devastated town of Bidur.
Among the survivors was customs agent Omkar Joshi, who spent the previous night stranded on a hilltop in the border town of Timure before being rescued.
"Everything is finished," Joshi, 35, told reporters, his voice breaking with emotion.
The town he fled had all but vanished beneath a torrent of water, mud and debris.
"Ninety percent" of its people were dead, he said, swallowed by silt. "It is a giant graveyard. All that is left are sand and pebbles, soaked red by human blood."
He said hundreds of people survived only by scrambling up nearby slopes as floodwaters roared through the valley below.
"It rained all night, but we stayed put till the choppers came for us," he added.
Nepal flood death toll rises to 332, local media says
What to know about Mount Kailash, a sacred site for pilgrims missing in the disaster
More than 100 of the nearly 1,300 people missing after massive floods in a border area of Nepal and China were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a sacred site in the Himalayas.
Mount Kailash is a Himalayan peak in southwestern Tibet, near China’s borders with Nepal and India. It rises more than 6,400 meters (21,000 feet) above sea level and lies close to Lake Manasarovar. Both have long been part of Sanskrit religious and literary traditions.
Mount Kailash holds sacred significance for Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the Tibetan Bon tradition. Each associates the mountain with different beliefs and sacred histories.
According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, the mountain is considered the home of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, and Parvati, a Hindu goddess associated with marriage, fertility and motherhood.
Followers of the Tibetan Bon tradition regard it as a seat of spiritual power and associate the region with Tonpa Shenrab, the tradition’s founder.
Mount Kailash is a Himalayan peak in southwestern Tibet, near China’s borders with Nepal and India. It rises more than 6,400 meters (21,000 feet) above sea level and lies close to Lake Manasarovar. Both have long been part of Sanskrit religious and literary traditions.
Mount Kailash holds sacred significance for Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the Tibetan Bon tradition. Each associates the mountain with different beliefs and sacred histories.
Nepal police in rescue and safety operations
Nepal police are being deployed to assist with rescue missions and to ensure the safety of civilians caught up in the devastation.
China sends 141 rescuers to disaster-stricken area of Gyirong
Pope Leo 'saddened' by deaths from Nepal flood
Pope Leo XIV was "saddened to learn of the loss of life and devastation caused by the flash floods in Nepal," the Vatican said.
"His holiness sends heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved, together with the assurance of his spiritual closeness to those affected by this tragedy," read the note written by the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
🎥 Countries send rescue teams to Nepal to search for missing tourists
A total of 800 foreign tourists are missing across the affected Himalayan region, including South Korean, Indian and Australian nationals, with some of those countries sending their own rescue teams to aid in the search.
🎥 How a glacier collapse is believed to have caused Nepal-Tibet disaster
A huge piece of ice that fell thousands of metres from a glacier into a river below may have unleashed the disaster in Nepal and Tibet that killed at least 180 people.
the broadcaster's Ellen Gainsford tells us more.
At least 288 Indians missing after Nepal flood, Indian foreign ministry says
At least 288 Indian nationals are missing in Nepal and another 200 remain stranded in China after a torrential flood swept through the Himalayan border areas of the two countries, India's foreign ministry said.
The 288 missing included tourists and Indians working in Nepal, it said.
Nepal flood death toll rises to at least 270
The devastating floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have killed at least 270 people, Nepali police said in an update on X, a day after the disaster.
Chinese premier arrives at Tibet mudslide area
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has arrived at the area on the China-Nepal border hit by a devastating mudslide, state media reported, to oversee search efforts for more than 500 people missing there.
"With the support of General Secretary Xi Jinping... Premier Li Qiang, leading comrades from relevant departments, arrived at the disaster-stricken area of Gyirong Town, Gyirong County, Tibet to guide emergency rescue and relief work, and to visit rescue workers and affected people," state news agency Xinhua reported.
People from more than 30 countries are missing after the flash floods
(the broadcaster with Reuters, AP and AFP)
