A devastating flash flood, believed to have been triggered by a glacier collapse, tore through Nepal’s mountainous regions, leaving more than 360 dead and over 1,300 missing. Rescue teams face immense challenges as fears of further flooding loom.

The violent torrent, which struck midweek, swept through nearly 170 kilometers of terrain along two major rivers in Nepal, erasing entire villages from the map. Authorities have confirmed over 360 fatalities so far, but the death toll is expected to rise, with more than 1,300 people, including numerous foreign nationals, still unaccounted for. Among the missing are eight German citizens, according to local officials.

Search and rescue operations are underway, involving over 5,000 police and military personnel. Teams are grappling with treacherous conditions, as debris and mudflows have made roads impassable and severed communication lines in many areas. Reports indicate that some victims were swept kilometers downstream, with bodies discovered as far as the Indian border. Survivors describe harrowing scenes of destruction, with one witness likening the disaster zones to ‘a massive graveyard.’

In addition to the ongoing recovery efforts, concerns are mounting over a potential secondary disaster. A dammed lake upstream has accumulated over two million cubic meters of water, which experts warn could breach due to continuing rainfall. Urgent measures are being taken to monitor the situation, but heavy rains forecast in the coming days present significant risks. Aid organizations on the ground have described the scale of destruction as unparalleled, with recovery efforts likely to take months, if not longer.