Two Singaporeans are among dozens of people still unaccounted for after devastating flash floods swept through a mountainous region of Nepal near the border with Tibet.
The two Singaporeans were travelling as part of a tour group when the floods struck on Wednesday (26 August), according to reports. The group had 47 members in total, including travellers from Australia, Canada, Nepal, the United States, Britain and Russia.
The disaster has resulted in widespread destruction across the region, with authorities reporting that the death toll has risen to at least 162. Hundreds of people remain missing as rescue teams continue searching affected areas.
Tour Group Includes 2 Singaporeans
The Singaporeans were among 47 people reported missing from the tour group. The group consisted of 15 Australians, 10 Canadians, nine Nepalese, eight Americans, two Britons, two Singaporeans and one Russian-American dual citizen.
Two children were also reportedly part of the group. The tour operator, Himalayan Glacier, said the group was travelling in the region when the flash floods struck.
The incident has prompted concern among families and authorities as rescue efforts continue in difficult terrain. The mountainous border area has been particularly challenging for emergency teams because of extensive flooding, debris and damaged infrastructure.
Hundreds Of Foreign Tourists Reported Missing
Nepalese authorities have separately reported that more than 500 tourists were missing following the disaster, including more than 400 foreign nationals.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV also reported that 558 people were missing in Gyirong county in Tibet, with 260 of them being foreign nationals.
However, it remains unclear whether the figures reported by Nepal and China overlap. Authorities on both sides of the border are dealing with a fast-moving situation, and the number of missing people may change as rescue teams identify survivors and account for travellers.
Police in Nepal have also reported significant casualties among their own personnel. At least 28 police officers were still unaccounted for at the time of the report.
Dramatic Footage Shows Floodwaters Sweeping Through Area
Videos circulating online have provided a glimpse of the scale and speed of the disaster.
Security camera footage from the Nepal-China border area reportedly captured a huge surge of water and debris rushing through the region, with people seen attempting to flee from the approaching floodwaters.
Another video showed passengers inside a bus as water rapidly surrounded the vehicle. Separate footage appeared to show workers running towards higher ground as a large wave of floodwater approached.
The footage underscores the difficulty people faced in escaping once the floodwaters began moving through the mountainous area.
Possible Link To Ice And Rock Collapse
The cause of the sudden flood remains under investigation, although scientists have pointed to a possible connection with a major geological event in the area.
The United States Geological Survey initially reported a magnitude 4.4 earthquake along the Nepal-China border, north of Kathmandu, around the same period as the disaster.
Reports also indicated that a large mass of ice and rock came down a mountainside and entered the Lhende Khola River, which is connected to the Bhote Koshi River system.
An international team of scientists believes that part of a glacier may have broken away and fallen into the valley, potentially contributing to the enormous surge of water.
However, authorities and researchers have yet to establish a definitive cause for the destructive flood wave.
Rescue Operations Continue As Death Toll Rises
Rescue and recovery operations are continuing across affected parts of Nepal as authorities work to locate missing people and identify those who have died.
Police said 64 bodies had been recovered from downstream areas in Chitwan district, while another 26 were found in Nawalparasi East. The death toll was subsequently reported to have reached 162.
With hundreds of people still unaccounted for, the final scale of the disaster remains unclear.
For the two Singaporeans and their families, the immediate priority remains determining their whereabouts. Singapore authorities may provide further updates as information becomes available and coordination with Nepalese officials continues.