Deadly floods in Nepal: death toll rises to 160, 1,500 missing
A landslide and rock slide into a Himalayan river has triggered deadly floods. Officials say more than 160 people have died in the disaster. Nearly 1,500 people, including 800 foreigners, are missing across Nepal and China's Tibet region.
The death toll from devastating floods in Nepal has risen to more than 160, with 1,500 people missing.
The disaster, which began in the early hours of August 26, has devastated a mountainous region that connects Lhasa in Tibet to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, a popular tourist and pilgrimage destination. Police are using helicopters to search for survivors and deliver emergency relief supplies to thousands of people.
The death toll is expected to rise beyond 165. "The number will rise as we resume the search and more bodies are expected to be found," said police spokesman Abi Narayan.
Of the 826 people still missing in Nepal, about 600 are foreigners, according to police and tourism officials. The missing tourists include 177 from India, 63 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 25 from Canada. The missing also include citizens of Malaysia, Ukraine and Russia.
Another 558 people are missing in Tibet's Jiron county, 260 of whom are said to be foreign nationals.
Confirmed videos show dozens of people being swept away by a huge flood of water and debris near the Jiron border crossing, while houses, roads and power facilities were washed away downstream in Nepal.
Nepal's emergency management authorities have released the results of their initial analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery. According to him, an ice and rock avalanche triggered a flash flood that carried debris to the Lende River, located 20 km northeast of the Nepal-China border post of Rasuvagadi.