China-Nepal Mudslide Toll Rises to 392
SingTao · 5 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
The latest combined toll from the China-Nepal border disaster has risen to at least 392 dead, including 389 in Nepal and 3 in Tibet, while more than 1,400 people remain missing. Authorities and experts say the catastrophe began with a massive glacial ice-and-rock collapse in the Himalayas on August 26, which plunged about 1,200 metres into a valley and generated an impact comparable to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. The resulting torrent of ice, rock and mud blocked the Bhote Koshi River before bursting through as a fast-moving flow likened to liquid concrete, destroying villages, roads and bridges downstream. Rescue work is continuing in Nepal and Tibet, but officials are also warning that a newly formed dammed lake upstream could trigger a second disaster if it breaches.
Key Points
- Nepal police said the Nepal-side toll reached 389 dead and 910 missing, including 517 foreign tourists from about 30 countries.
- In Tibet's Gyirong area, authorities reported 3 deaths and 558 missing, including 260 foreign nationals near the border crossing.
- Nepal's tourism authorities said 644 tourists were unaccounted for, comprising 517 foreigners and 127 Nepali tourists after the flood.
- China's Foreign Ministry said nearly 100 Chinese citizens were missing in Nepal, while Premier Li Qiang arrived in Gyirong to oversee rescue efforts.
- China's water authorities warned the dammed lake already held about 2 million cubic metres, with another 3 million expected within three days.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the disaster underlines how quickly cross-border mountain tourism and overland travel routes in the Himalayas can turn deadly, especially in peak travel periods. It also raises the risk of prolonged transport disruption and further casualties if the dammed lake fails, complicating rescue access for missing foreign travellers, including Chinese nationals.
For Hong Kong readers, the disaster underlines how quickly cross-border mountain tourism and overland travel routes in the Himalayas can turn deadly, especially in peak travel periods. It also raises the risk of prolonged transport disruption and further casualties if the dammed lake fails, complicating rescue access for missing foreign travellers, including Chinese nationals.