At least 165 people have been killed and more than 1,000 remain missing after a glacial collapse triggered devastating floods along the Nepal-Tibet border on 26 August. Seventeen Malaysians are among the foreign nationals unaccounted for.
The US Geological Survey identified the cause as a glacial collapse that generated seismic activity initially registered as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake, CNA reported. A massive wall of mud and debris crashed through the Bhote Koshi River valley, sweeping away villages, markets, roads, bridges and power infrastructure in Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district.
“Entire villages and market areas have been wiped out,” David Fisher, the Nepal head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told CNA.
Rescue teams from Nepal, China and international organisations continued searching on 27 August. Nepal police had recovered 162 bodies while Chinese state media reported three deaths at Tibet’s Gyirong Port, with 558 people including 260 foreigners still missing on that side of the border.
The Nepal Tourism Board said 384 tourists and trekkers were out of contact, including 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali citizens, FMT reported. The missing foreigners included more than 100 Indians, 12 Britons, four South Africans, three US citizens, one Australian and one Dutch citizen. The nationalities of another 111 people had yet to be confirmed.
The Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu received reports from travel agencies that they had lost contact with 11 Malaysians believed to be in Rasuwa district. The foreign ministry said the loss of contact was believed to have been caused by severe disruptions to communication and electricity networks.
“The Embassy is actively coordinating with local authorities and the search and rescue teams currently being deployed by the Nepalese government to locate the affected Malaysians and ascertain their safety,” Wisma Putra said in a media advisory.
A tour group of 47 people, including two children, was also missing after the flooding, CNA reported, citing tour company Himalayan Glacier. The group included two Singaporeans, 15 Australians, 10 Canadians, nine Nepalese, two Britons and one Russian-American dual citizen.
Ruth Gamble, an environmental historian at La Trobe University, described the surge as “an inland tsunami, travelling nearly 170km down the Bhote Koshi valley into Central Nepal.” The disaster struck a popular route for international tourists travelling from Kathmandu to Lhasa.
Wisma Putra advised Malaysians residing in or travelling through Nepal, particularly those near the affected areas, to remain vigilant and follow all safety instructions issued by local authorities. It also urged Malaysians to register and regularly update their contact details through the e-Konsular portal.
For immediate consular assistance or emergencies, Malaysians may contact the Malaysian embassy in Kathmandu at +977 1544 5680 or +977 1544 5681 (general), +977 1544 5689 (consular), or +977 980 100 8000 (emergency helpline), or email [email protected].
Experts warned of the potential for a second flood, with a blockage still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river. China’s leader Xi Jinping said the most urgent task was doing everything possible to search for and rescue the missing people.
