A catastrophic flood triggered by a massive landslide and glacier collapse has devastated communities along the Nepal-China border, leaving over 1,450 people missing and at least 390 confirmed dead, authorities said. The disaster struck early on Wednesday in the Langtang mountain region, sending a destructive surge of water and debris rushing down valleys that span both countries.

The incident began around 8:37 a.m. local time when seismic instruments detected what was initially recorded as a 4.4-magnitude earthquake, later identified as a massive landslide. Preliminary scientific analysis suggests that a large chunk of glacier ice and rock, likely detached from an altitude of approximately 4,900 meters, plunged more than a kilometer into the valley below. This fall transformed into a powerful flood wave that cascaded through towns and villages, reaching distances up to 240 kilometers downstream.

Among those affected was tour operator Syed Umar Sadiq, who was leading a group of 57 pilgrims near the Nepalese border on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet. Sadiq and most members of his group remain missing. Two of their three vans were swept away by the floodwaters, while the third narrowly escaped. His family in India, including his 18-month-old son, await news of his whereabouts.

Nepal’s disaster management officials reported 389 deaths within their borders, while Chinese authorities have confirmed three fatalities so far. Rescue operations are ongoing, with over 500 foreign tourists among the approximately 900 people unaccounted for in Nepal, including roughly 65 Americans and 180 Indians, according to a Nepalese official involved in coordinating the response. In China, nearly 550 people are missing, with almost half presumed to be foreign visitors.

Eyewitness accounts describe a sudden and overwhelming surge of muddy water engulfing key border checkpoints, notably Gyirong Port on the Chinese side and Timure on the Nepalese side. Several buses parked near Gyirong Port were reportedly lifted and tossed by the floodwaters. An Indian spiritual travel group said 77 pilgrims at the checkpoint heading back to Nepal after visiting Kailash-Mansarovar remain unaccounted for.

Customs officer Prem Subedi, stationed at Timure, described the first tremors resembling an earthquake or even a volcanic event. He narrowly escaped by climbing a steep hillside, a decision that saved his life while many others who did not move quickly perished. Further downstream, in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, local school principal Rajendra Dawadi urgently evacuated students to higher ground after receiving warnings of the approaching flood. Despite preparations, the school building was destroyed when the flood arrived.

Mount Kailash, known as Kang Rinpoche locally, holds sacred significance in Hinduism as the home of the deity Shiva. The pilgrimage to the region had resumed last year after a suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a freeze in India-China border relations following military clashes.

Responses in China have been tightly controlled, with foreign journalists barred from the region and social media discussions restricted. State media have emphasized rapid emergency response efforts, showing images of soldiers and first responders in the disaster zone. Tibet is prone to natural hazards such as floods and earthquakes, and local authorities have historically limited public discussion following such events.

India’s Foreign Ministry reported 200 Indian nationals stranded in China and over 280 uncontactable in Nepal. Several Indian travel groups had pilgrims en route or at border crossings when the disaster occurred, leaving families anxious as communications remain scarce.

Investigations into the precise cause of the landslide and consequent flood continue. Experts are comparing this event with a similar glacier and rock collapse that caused a deadly avalanche in Chamoli, India, in 2021. Scientists emphasize the scale of the landslide required to generate a floodwave of such magnitude and continue to analyze the rapidly unfolding situation.