Archive · 30 Aug 2026
China Reports 261 Foreigners Missing After Himalayan Mudslide
A huge flow of ice, rocks, mud and water hit areas of China and Nepal in the Himalayas.
It began after a glacier collapsed on Wednesday.
China said 261 people from other countries were missing on its side of the border.
Nepal reported hundreds of deaths and thousands of missing people.
Many people have been rescued, but the rising Trishuli River created another danger.
Rescue workers and local residents moved to higher ground.
China sent more than 2,100 emergency workers and financial help.
Chinese officials said global warming may have made the glacier unstable.
The two countries are working together to find missing people and provide aid.
China said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries were missing on the Tibetan side of the border with Nepal.
Nepal reported at least 675 deaths, 2,498 missing people and 7,514 rescued on its side.
China said 16 people had died and 546 were missing in Gyirong County as of Saturday evening.
Nepalese residents and rescuers moved to higher ground after the Trishuli River rose, raising fears of further flooding.
China attributed the disaster to glacier instability linked to long-term global warming and sent more than 2,100 rescuers to assist.
- Who
- People in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region and Nepal, including foreign nationals from 23 countries, were affected; China and Nepal led rescue efforts.
- What
- A glacier-related mudslide sent ice, rock, mud and debris through Himalayan river areas, leaving people dead, missing and displaced.
- When
- The glacier collapsed on Wednesday; China released the nationality figures on Sunday, August 30, with its death toll measured through Saturday evening.
- Where
- The disaster affected China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, including Gyirong County and a border crossing with Nepal, as well as Nepal’s Trishuli region.
- Why
- Chinese officials attributed the disaster to glacier instability under the long-term effects of global warming.
- Foreign nationals missing in Tibet
- 261 people from 23 countries
- Largest nationality group
- Nepal, with 104 missing nationals
- Other reported nationalities
- 49 Indian, 33 Latvian, 18 American and 15 British citizens missing
- Deaths in Tibet
- 16 people in Gyirong County as of Saturday evening
- Nepal figures
- At least 675 killed, 2,498 missing and 7,514 rescued
- Chinese rescue response
- More than 2,100 emergency rescue workers mobilized
- Chinese relief funding
- At least 220 million yuan, reported as $32.7 million