At least 165 people have died and more than 400 tourists remain unaccounted for after flash floods caused by a glacial collapse struck the Nepal–Tibet border, officials and aid groups said on Thursday. Four South Africans are among those reported missing, according to South African humanitarian responders.
South African aid groups and embassy prepare to act
Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers said it had been contacted by the daughter of a missing South African couple and that a second South African couple and several other international tourists were also unaccounted for. The organisation said it had teams on standby and was in touch with Nepalese authorities.
“The tour operator confirmed a second South African couple and several international tourists are missing and that thousands of homes, shopping malls and businesses have been washed away,” Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman said, according to the organisation.
Gift of the Givers reported it has 11 urban search-and-rescue specialists, four SAPS dog handlers and four dogs ready to deploy. The organisation said Ahmed Bham, head of search and rescue, was in communication with Nepalese disaster management officials and that any deployment would be coordinated from Kathmandu if authorisation is granted. The South African embassy, the organisation added, was prepared to process visas immediately but was waiting for a formal request for international assistance.
Scale and access challenges
Officials and witnesses described widespread destruction in the Rasuwa district and surrounding areas, including the town of Syabrubesi — a gateway for pilgrim treks to Mount Kailash. Entire villages were swept away. Vehicles, including buses and cars, were destroyed and key trekking routes were cut.
Gift of the Givers warned that helicopter surveillance was effectively the only means of assessing the scene because roads had been destroyed and landing was often impossible owing to unstable ground and high water levels. The organisation also warned of the risk posed by potential secondary dam collapses in the area, which could endanger rescue teams.
A local resident described the human toll in the immediate aftermath. AFP reported one man saying people were “crying” as their houses were swept away; three family members were rescued but a brother remained missing.
Numbers and nationalities
Initial reports put the death toll at around 160; later information cited 165 fatalities in parts of Nepal’s Rasuwa district and adjacent areas in Tibet. More than 400 tourists from a wide range of countries were reported unaccounted for. Nationalities mentioned in reports include South Africa, Australia, the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia, Portugal, South Korea and the United States.
| Figure | Reported total |
|---|---|
| Fatalities | 165 |
| Tourists unaccounted for | More than 400 |
| South Africans missing | 4 |
| Gift of the Givers rescue specialists | 11 |
| SAPS dog handlers and dogs | 4 handlers, 4 dogs |
What rescue teams reported
- Gift of the Givers said it remained in contact with Nepalese authorities and was standing by for a formal request for international assistance.
- Helicopter reconnaissance is being used to locate survivors and assess damage because roads have been rendered impassable.
- Local authorities and international agencies are coordinating search and rescue operations from Kathmandu if outside teams are authorised to deploy.
Details remain fluid. The situation is developing and may change as Nepalese authorities release updated casualty and missing-person figures and as international rescue teams, including those on standby from South Africa, receive formal authorisation to enter the affected areas.
