KATHMANDU — A roaring wall of water and mud thundered through a Himalayan valley on the Nepal-Tibet border, killing more than 150 people and leaving hundreds of tourists missing in a disaster that has stunned the world.
The massive flash flood and mudslide struck Wednesday, swallowing homes, bridges and buildings whole — and sweeping away pilgrims and trekkers who had flocked to the region's sacred high-altitude lakes for an auspicious full-moon pilgrimage.
Among the missing: more than 100 tourists from India, 54 from the United States, and 33 from the United Kingdom, as well as more than 100 from Nepal itself, according to the country's tourist board.
'MY FAMILY WAS SWEPT AWAY IN FRONT OF ME'
Survivors described scenes of unimaginable horror as the floodwaters surged without warning.
“My family was swept away in front of me,” one woman told rescuers. She and her son survived only by scrambling onto a rooftop as the muddy torrent swallowed everything below.
Dozens of Nepalese police officers and army personnel are also missing, along with power workers who were in the area when the deluge hit.
3 DEAD, 265 MISSING IN TIBET
On the Chinese side of the border, state media report three dead and 265 missing in Tibet.
Dramatic CCTV footage from a border crossing shows a wall of water and mud slamming into buildings — a chilling glimpse of the apocalyptic force that tore through the valley.
12 BRITS VANISH FROM ONE TOUR GROUP
The manager of a tour company has been fielding “thousands” of missed calls from the families of a dozen Britons missing from a single excursion across the Nepal-Tibet border.
Kumar Adhikari said he was in contact with four Nepali tour guides until 8:40 a.m. Wednesday, when they were expected at Tibet's immigration office. Then their phones went dead.
“We were hoping that inside it was safe,” Adhikari told the Press Association. “But later the video came from China's government which showed even Tibet's side was hit by the flood.”
The operator told the BBC they tried to charter a rescue helicopter but couldn't fly because of the appalling conditions.
“I feel so sad. We are just thinking about what to do next,” Adhikari said. “We are in pain at the moment, deep pain.”
Among the missing British nationals are three men aged 65, 64 and 52, and seven women aged 44, 47, 51, 60, 63, 63 and 65, according to travel logs obtained by the Press Association.
NOT AN EARTHQUAKE — A LANDSLIDE
Authorities initially feared an earthquake had triggered the catastrophe. But the US Geological Survey now says the “seismic energy was instead generated by a landslide” — a massive slope collapse that sent a deadly torrent cascading down the valley.
SACRED PILGRIMAGE TURNED NIGHTMARE
The disaster zone is home to two high-altitude lakes 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 every year — and late August is peak season, when pilgrims take a sacred dip under a full moon considered especially auspicious.
Pradeep Pandit, managing director of Alpine Kailash Trek, said tourists flock to the route at this exact time of month for the full-moon ritual.
WORLD LEADERS RUSH TO HELP
World leaders lined up to pledge support for the stricken nation:
- India: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says his country is “prepared to provide Nepal with all possible types of humanitarian assistance.”
- United States: The State Department says it is “in touch with the Government of Nepal” and “stands ready to assist.”
- European Union: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the EU is ready to “mobilise further European assistance.”
- United Kingdom: 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.
NEW ZEALAND CHECKING FOR KIWIS
Authorities in New Zealand say they are still trying to establish if any Kiwi travellers are among the missing.
“All New Zealanders in Nepal should follow the advice of local authorities at all times, including any evacuation orders,” a government spokesperson said.
RACE TO SAVE LIVES
Helicopters have been pulling survivors from rooftops as the desperate search continues for hundreds still unaccounted for across the rugged, remote terrain.
Aerial footage shows the Bhotekoshi River bursting its banks, with homes and infrastructure reduced to splintered wreckage along the valley floor.
Emergency services have been pulling mud-caked survivors from the ruins of buildings, as the full scale of the catastrophe continues to unfold.
THE BOTTOM LINE
What was meant to be a sacred journey to one of the holiest sites in the Eastern world has become a nightmare of biblical proportions.
The death toll is climbing. The missing list is growing. And for hundreds of families across the globe — from London to New York to New Delhi — the agonizing wait for news goes on.
