Nepal floods: Death toll climbs to 584 as thousands remain missing

A devastating flash flood along the Nepal-Tibet border has killed at least 584 people — 579 in Nepal and five in Tibet — while nearly 2,500 remain missing, as rescue teams race to reach survivors stranded across the remote Himalayan region.

Nepal has reported 1,924 people missing, while Chinese authorities say 558 remain unaccounted for in Tibet. The disaster has devastated villages and damaged roads, bridges and hydropower facilities, leaving large areas buried under water, mud, ice and rock.

The catastrophe struck on Wednesday, with satellite imagery and experts pointing to a massive ice-and-rock avalanche linked to a Himalayan glacier as the likely trigger. The collapse sent tonnes of debris into the river system, generating a powerful surge that swept through settlements with little warning.

The disaster has also affected hundreds of foreign tourists and pilgrims travelling through the mountainous border region. At least 41 Australians are among those reported missing, many of them travelling in separate pilgrimage and tour groups. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is urgently working to determine their whereabouts and welfare amid widespread communication disruptions.

Foreign minister Penny Wong said Australian authorities were assisting in efforts to locate the missing citizens, while additional consular personnel have been deployed to Kathmandu. Canberra has also pledged $5 million in humanitarian assistance for communities affected by the floods.

Rescue operations remain difficult as damaged infrastructure, isolated settlements and unstable mountain terrain hamper access to affected areas. Authorities are also monitoring the possibility of further flooding from an upstream barrier lake.

In Tibet, Chinese rescue teams have reached the devastated Gyirong border crossing, deploying boats, drones and foot patrols to search through the wreckage.

More than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal, with thousands of security personnel involved in search-and-recovery efforts. The International Red Cross estimates that more than 93,000 people are in need of urgent assistance, highlighting the scale of the humanitarian crisis.

As rescue crews continue to comb through devastated communities, families across Nepal, Tibet and abroad remain anxiously awaiting news of loved ones missing in the disaster.