A massive glacier collapse in the Himalayas triggered a deadly flood of mud, water, and ice on the border between Nepal and Tibet, killing at least 165 people and leaving thousands missing. The disaster struck at an altitude of 5,181 meters when a large section of ice, estimated to be about 600 meters wide, broke off from a glacier and plunged into a river valley below.

The resulting avalanche fragmented into a high-speed mixture of ice, rock, and debris, which devastated the surrounding area. It destroyed buildings, swept away vehicles including buses, and damaged infrastructure such as bridges. The torrent overwhelmed residents attempting to escape, according to eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage capturing people fleeing seconds before the mudslides engulfed them.

Initial geological assessments used satellite imagery to analyse the event, with experts describing the impact zone as heavily deposited with glacier debris. The United States Geological Survey reported that the landslide generated seismic shaking that registered as a magnitude 5.2 event, initially detected as a 4.4-magnitude earthquake, confirming the scale of the collapse.

Nepalese officials emphasized that the disaster came without warning. “There was no rain in Nepal, so we were not expecting anything like this,” said Narendra Pariyar, chief district officer of Rasuwa district, one of the hardest-hit areas along the Bhotekoshi River, where thousands reside.

The widespread destruction and flooding have prompted extensive search and rescue efforts. Nepal’s tourism board reported that at least 468 tourists remain missing, including more than 100 from India, a dozen from the United Kingdom, and several from the United States. Nationals from Australia, the Netherlands, Malaysia, and South Africa are also among those unaccounted for.

Video from the Gyirong port of entry on the Nepal-Tibet border, which is an autonomous region of China, documented the disaster’s immediate effects. Recordings show people running away from advancing mudflows moments before buildings collapsed and large portions of the landscape were submerged.

Authorities continue to assess the full impact of the disaster while search teams work to locate survivors among the devastated communities scattered throughout the high-altitude terrain.