At least 98 people were killed by flash floods in a border area belonging to Nepal and China on Wednesday, while hundreds more were reported missing.
The vast majority of the deaths occurred in Nepal. Nepalese officials reported just over 400 people, including foreign nationals visiting the country, were reported missing.
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At least 133 tourists were from India on a Hindu pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet. Many more tourists were missing, including at least 47 people from the United States.
The death toll and reported missing will likely rise as local authorities receive more information about the natural disaster’s impact.
The flash flood may have been caused by an avalanche from an icy glacier on Nepal’s side of the border, according to the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. Earlier Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported a 4.4-magnitude earthquake about 60 miles north of Kathmandu.
The mountainous region saw flash floods in August 2025 when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed due to high temperatures. That flood resulted in the deaths of nine people and damage to critical infrastructure, including a bridge between Nepal and China.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered to lend help in a conversation with his Nepalese counterpart, Balen Shah, following Wednesday’s flood.
Australia, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Finland, France, Norway, and Switzerland all expressed solidarity with the people of Nepal and encouraged them to obey local authorities. The State Department urged U.S. citizens in the affected areas to avoid travel.
