About 100 Chinese nationals are reported to be missing following flash floods in Nepal, according to China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.

Lin says China is maintaining close communication with Nepal and supporting joint search and rescue efforts. He adds that China would also provide emergency assistance based on Nepal's needs.

The number of people missing in the mudslide disaster in Tibet's Gyirong county has risen to 558, which includes 260 foreign nationals, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV.

A further 826 people are missing in Nepal, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said in its latest update. It's currently not clear if these figures overlap with China's.

Image source, Reuters

A tour guide who made a last-minute decision to postpone his group's journey through Gyirong into Nepal has recounted their close shave with the flooding, describing Wednesday as "a day of immense luck, yet one weighed down by a heavy sense of foreboding".

“It rained all night [on Tuesday], and I was worried we wouldn’t be able to see the snow-capped mountains," the guide, surnamed Mu, has told Zhejiang-based Tide News. "So I decided to lead them up first to a viewpoint in another area."

While the group was trekking in this other spot on Wednesday morning, they heard a "loud rumbling sound".

"No one could have imagined it was a mudslide,” Mu says.

At midday, they descended and proceeded to apply for permits to enter Nepal through the Gyirong border crossing.

This process typically takes an hour but on Wednesday "our permits never came through", Mu notes.

"It's only then that we caught up with the news and realised what had happened."

Image source, EPA

David Fisher, head of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies delegation in Nepal, says there is "still an extreme situation" in the regions hit by Wednesday's floods.

He tells 5 Live Breakfast some areas in the north of Nepal "are only accessible via helicopter because the flood has knocked out bridges and roads".

"Our team has been on the ground a bit south of there and they have been able to travel to make contact with local volunteers."

Fisher says "it's very clear to us there are very sharp needs" and a lot of people had to "sleep in the elements" last night, but "much, much more is needed".

He adds that entire villages and market places have been "swept away" and fears the death toll "could continue to go up".

At least 77 of the people missing in Nepal were travelling with the Isha Foundation, founded by Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru.

The group had completed its pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar and was heading back to Kathmandu when contact was lost, according to the foundation's coordinator, Maa Gambhiri.

She told news agency ANI that one of the foundation's team members spoke to group leader Praveen at 09:05 local time (04:20 BST) on Wednesday. When they tried to contact him again 10 minutes later, they could not get through.

“We couldn't get through to him or anyone else. It seems the incident occurred within those 10 minutes.”

The foundation says it is still waiting for information from the authorities.

The group includes people from the US, Australia, the UK and several European and Asian countries. Many are of Indian origin, Gambhiri said.

A Nepalese tour operator has confirmed that nine UK nationals remain missing since crossing the Nepal-Tibet border while on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.

The latest from Nepali police is that 33 UK nationals are currently missing.

The Trekkers’ Society has told the PA news agency that the nine British citizens who were completing one of its tours comprise of four males, aged between 14 and 54, and five females aged between 40 and 53.

Roshan Basnet, the general manager of the company, tells PA: "When the flood happened, they were still at the Chinese immigration (at) the border. After the flood happened, we had no contact with our tour guide.

"We were very saddened, some of my cousins were (on) that trip, so we don’t have any whereabout for them as well."

BBC Tamil

Image source, BBC Tamil

More than 30 pilgrims from India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu remain missing in Nepal, according to the operator that organised their trip.

The group of 57 people was travelling with the Kumbakonam-based Super Yatra Agency.

Owner Syed Sadiq tells BBC Tamil his son Umar Farooq was among them and was working as a guide.

“The last time I spoke to him was on Tuesday night, before the floods,” he says.

Sadiq says they have since been informed that helicopters sent from Kathmandu had rescued some Indian nationals, but it was not yet clear where they were from.

He adds they are still waiting for information about the group.

Sanjaya Dhakal
BBC Nepali Service

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

The Nepal Tourism Board says 644 tourists are still out of contact following the devastating Bhotekoshi floods in Nepal.

Around 178 Indian tourists remain missing according to Sunil Sharma, a spokesperson of the board.

Additionally, 127 Nepali tourists, 53 Ukrainians, 51 Malaysians, 65 Americans, 35 Australians, and 33 UK nationals remain out of contact, he tells the BBC.

“We are coordinating with the relevant authorities for their search and rescue,” Sharma says.

Deputy Superintendent of Nepal Tourist Police Bisworaj Adhikari tells the BBC that they are still collecting information from tour operators about the tourists who had travelled to the area.

The area impacted by the flood includes a popular route towards the Hindu pilgrimage site of Kailash Mansarovar, which is located in Tibet. It also includes the popular trekking area of Langtang and a religious site called Gosain Kunda.

Adhikari says that around two dozen tourists had been rescued and brought back from the Rasuwa district to the neighbouring Nuwakot district on Thursday. He could not confirm their nationalities.

Earlier, the Secretariat of the Prime Minister said that the Nepali Army had rescued 21 Indian nationals who were being brought back to Kathmandu.

In its latest update, Nepal's police says 177 bodies have now been recovered from areas affected by yesterday's floods and mudslide.

It adds that 33 people are receiving treatment and 3,318 police officers have been deployed so far to support rescue operations.

Tessa Wong
Asia Digital Reporter

Image source, Reuters

Simon Cook is a senior lecturer in energy environment and security at the University of Dundee specialising in glaciology.

On Wednesday, a colleague inspecting satellite imagery noticed that a lower part of a glacier close to the flooded areas was missing, indicating there had been "some kind of ice avalanche or glacier collapse", he tells the BBC.

"I think some people thought this was an earthquake that triggered an avalanche, but there’s a seismologist on our team who is convinced that it was actually the collapsed glacier hitting the valley bottom. That tells you the sheer magnitude of the event," he adds.

Cook says his team are "all shocked at the scale" of the disaster, adding there have been a number of similar events in recent years in areas such as the Himalayas, Switzerland and the Dolomites in Italy.

"But when you look at the pattern of these events, you do think climate change could have an impact," he adds.

Cook explains that global warming is possibly causing the permafrost, which is partially holding some mountainsides together, to thaw and degrade.

This "destabilises these high mountain environments", leading to more landslides, debris flows, glacial meltwater, lake outbursts and glacier collapses, he adds.

An economic as well as human costpublished at 08:00 BST 27 August

08:00 BST 27 August

Peter Hoskins
Business reporter, Singapore

As Nepal comes to terms with the human cost of the disaster, the country will also have to deal with its economic impact.

The devastating flooding has damaged critical infrastructure along Nepal's border with China - its second-largest trading partner after India.

Nepal's trade with China has grown significantly since it joined Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative in 2017.

According to data platform Observatory of Economic Complexity, total trade between the two countries totalled almost $2.2bn (£1.6bn) in 2024.

The vast majority of that figure is made up of Chinese goods - including cars, buses, electronics and food - being imported by Nepal.

Previous natural disasters cost the country hundreds of millions of dollars as infrastructure was damaged and trade interrupted.

Experienced mountaineer Alan Hinkes has previously witnessed flash floods in Nepal, but says he couldn't believe how "explosive" and "violent" Wednesday's disaster was.

"To that force, I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like that for a long time," he tells BBC Breakfast.

Hinkes says many people will be using the route to walk up Mount Kailash in Tibet, which includes "a lot of Hindus and Buddhists" taking part in pilgrimages.

Asked about the logistics of the rescue operation, Hinkes says: "At the moment it will just be helicopters. All the bridges have been swept away.

"There are quite a few helicopters in Nepal, small ones, so that is what they need really to get to these areas now."

The whole valley has been "scoured out" and all the buildings on either side of the river have just been either washed away or now buried in mud, he adds.

Hinkes says he has been through similar villages hit by mudslides in the past and "it is pretty grim to see".

Image source, Reuters

A huge emergency operation is under way after flash floods and landslides swept through Nepal and Tibet. If you're just joining us, here's what we know so far:

• At least 165 people have died, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) has said. A further 826 people are missing, including 529 tourists, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said in its latest update
• One tourist group operating in the area says 47 people, including guides and clients, are missing and out of contact since the floods hit
• The number of people missing in Tibet's Gyirong county has risen to 558 - including 260 foreign nationals - while three people are confirmed to have died, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV. It's currently not clear if these figures overlap with Nepal's
• The US Geological Survey says the flood was caused by "a glacial collapse and debris flow" which lead to "subsequent catastrophic impacts downstream"
• The Nepali army has deployed 2,000 military personnel for land and aerial search and rescue operations in flood affected areas to help look for survivors
• On the Tibetan side, uncertain weather conditions and the remote geography of the area are making rescue operations increasingly difficult, Chinese authorities say

Laura Bicker
China correspondent

Rescue teams in China have told state media that the main priority now is to secure the stability of a so-called barrier lake which is upstream from the disaster zone.

In an interview with Southern Metropolis Daily, rescuers at the scene said that the only way they can clear the debris and ensure the safety of the team is by removing this hazard.

As we reported earlier, there are concerns that debris in waterways could cause a secondary potential flooding event.

Image source, File photo/Reuters

The Dalai Lama has said he is "saddened to learn of the devastating floods" in a new statement issued this morning.

"I pray for all those who have lost their lives, and offer my sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved and to all those affected by this tragedy," the Buddhist spiritual leader writes.

"Since this region has seen calamities in the past as well, these are certainly symptoms of a deeper underlying cause — whether climate change or other factors.

"I hope that appropriate follow-up measures will be taken, wherever possible, to help ensure that such disasters do not recur."

The Dalai Lama has lived in exile from his Tibetan homeland since 1959 and is condemned as a rebel and separatist by Beijing - the spiritual leader has campaigned for more autonomy for Tibet, but Beijing considers it an integral part of China.

We're seeing some new images this morning from Trishuli, Nepal.

Some people can be seen trying to salvage their belongings while others wait among the rubble for paths to be cleared back to their homes.

Thick mud covers the buildings and access routes.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Binita Dahal
BBC Nepali

Image source, Reuters

Many injured people are in local healthcare centres, hospitals and some severely injured are in several hospitals of Kathmandu. Relatives of the victims are anxiously waiting to hear about their family members.

Night-vision helicopters were used to search for people and deliver help, with rescue and relief teams working from bases in Dhunche and Nuwakot - two of the worst-hit districts.

A BBC reporter from the affected area says: "There is no electricity, no road access and no internet."

Officials continue to focus on rescuing survivors

Five trucks carrying relief supplies have already been sent, with more aid on the way. The United States, China, the European Union and India have also offered help.

Videos from the affected areas have shown huge amounts of water rushing through several communities.

Roads, bridges and power stations have been badly damaged, while some homes and entire villages have been swept away.

Image source, Reuters

We can bring you some more now from Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) which says 165 bodies have now been recovered from flood-affected areas - their identification is still ongoing.

The agency's update is based on details from District Administration Offices and Emergency Operation Centres - it adds that there are currently 85 emergency service personnel who are not currently contactable.

The statement also references damage to bridges and roads - adding that more detailed data continues to be collected.

A few hours ago, Nepali police said the death toll stood at 162.

Keshav Koirala
BBC Nepali

The Nepali Army says that seven people trapped in a tunnel of a hydroelectric project in Haku, Rasuwa, have been rescued alive. It says efforts are underway to rescue those trapped in three other tunnels.

According to the army, 95 people have been safely rescued from the Timure area of ​​Rasuwa.

Among the rescued are 21 Indian tourists from the Timure area.

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority has just given their latest update, saying 826 people are missing after the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods.

According to the agency, that figure includes security forces, tourists and the general public.

The number of tourists missing is said to be more than 529.

Simon Atkinson
Australia reporter

I’ve been contacting firms which advertise tours that include trips through the Nepal-Tibet border.

As this is not the peak trekking season, it appears most of those taking international visitors are doing so as part of pilgrimages.

Shivendra Mishra, a spokesperson for Kailash Journeys, told me 27 of his company’s guests and four office staff are among the missing. They were all part of a 15-day pilgrimage tour.

Kailash Journeys said they were last in contact with the group at 08:00 Nepali time on Wednesday.

“After that no contact,” Mishra added.

A list of names of the tourists provided to the BBC includes five women and two men who are British citizens, Their ages range from 19 to 55.

Four men and four women from the US are also listed alongside six Australians, one New Zealander, two Canadians, one person from Malaysia and anther from South Africa.