Archive · 30 Aug 2026
261 Foreign Nationals Unaccounted For After Tibet-Nepal Border Flood
A major natural disaster hit Gyirong Port near the Tibet-Nepal border on August 26.
Most reports call it a flash flood, while one report calls it a mudslide.
Chinese officials said 261 foreign people from 23 countries were still unaccounted for.
The largest groups were from Nepal and India.
Some Indian visitors were in Tibet for a religious journey called the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.
Officials said some pilgrims may have been inside the port’s immigration building when the water arrived.
Different Chinese government departments searched the area and checked their records.
Officials also said no foreign tourists were currently stranded in Gyirong County, although the 261 people remained listed as unaccounted for.
Chinese officials said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries remained unaccounted for after the August 26 disaster at Gyirong Port.
The reported total included 104 Nepalis, 49 Indians, 33 Latvians, 18 Americans and 15 Britons.
The disaster was described as a catastrophic flash flood in most reports and as a mudslide in one account.
Some Indian pilgrims visiting Tibet for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra were reportedly at the border immigration building when the disaster struck.
Authorities said they conducted joint searches and checks, notified foreign embassies and consulates, and found no foreign tourists currently stranded in Gyirong County.
- Who
- Chinese officials reported that 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries, including 49 Indians, were unaccounted for.
- What
- A disaster at Gyirong Port left hundreds of foreign nationals unaccounted for; reports variously described it as a flash flood or mudslide.
- When
- The disaster occurred on August 26; the figures were announced on Sunday, with one report published August 30, 2026.
- Where
- Gyirong Port in Gyirong County, Tibet, near the Nepal border.
- Why
- The sudden disaster caused widespread destruction, prompting authorities to search the area and cross-check records.
- Foreign nationals unaccounted for
- 261
- Countries represented
- 23
- Largest reported group
- 104 people from Nepal
- Indian nationals unaccounted for
- 49
- Disaster date
- August 26
- Location
- Gyirong Port, Gyirong County, Tibet
- Authorities involved
- Foreign affairs, public security, culture and tourism, and emergency management authorities
- Additional Nepal figures
- 675 bodies recovered and 2,498 people still missing in affected areas, according to Nepalese authorities
Sources
49 Indians among 261 foreigners missing after flash flood on Tibet-Nepal border: Officials
49 Indians among 261 foreigners missing after flash flood on Tibet-Nepal border: Chinese officials
49 Indians among 261 foreigners missing after flash flood on Tibet-Nepal border: Officials