Nepal landslide kills over 150, hundreds of tourists unaccounted for near Chinese border

A massive landslide in Nepal on Wednesday unleashed a torrent of mud and water, killing at least 157 people and leaving more than 400 tourists missing near the China border. The disaster destroyed homes, roads, and bridges, with officials warning the death toll could climb as rescue operations continue. The US Geological Survey attributed the event to a glacial collapse, and the US pledged $500,000 in emergency aid while Australia reported 34 of its citizens missing.

The disaster struck along the Himalayan border region where Nepal meets China's Tibet, with a massive wall of mud and rock collapsing into a river and triggering catastrophic flash flooding. The US Geological Survey determined that a glacial collapse—not an earthquake as initially suspected—generated the seismic activity and subsequent debris flow that devastated downstream areas in both countries.

Rescue operations continued through the night as authorities recovered bodies and searched for survivors. Nepal's tourism ministry reported more than 400 tourists missing, approximately 340 of them foreign nationals. Australia confirmed 34 of its citizens unaccounted for, while the United States pledged $500,000 in emergency assistance and deployed a disaster response adviser. The UN announced it was mobilizing supplies and personnel to support affected communities.