Catastrophic floods kill 390 in Nepal, Tibet, 393 foreign tourists still missing

DEVIGHAT, NEPAL - Nepal says that 468 tourists and travelers, including 393 foreigners, remain out of contact, 24 hours after a deadly flood tore through the border region with Tibet. 'About 468 tourists and travelers are out of contact, among them 75 are Nepalis,' Suraj Ghimire, Department of Tourism spokesman, tells AFP. At least 165 people have been confirmed killed, in both Nepal and in China, where a further 558 people are reported missing. An Israeli citizen is among those missing. Rescue teams and military helicopters searched Thursday for hundreds of missing people along the mountainous Nepal-China border, where a deadly torrent of water and mud several stories high swept through communities a day earlier following a glacier collapse. PM praises Saudi Arabia's steadfast support to Pakistan Videos of the disaster showed people running before the floodwaters swallowed them up and washed out buildings and bridges. More than 390 people were killed, according to authorities in Nepal and China, and more than 1,400 were missing, including hundreds of foreigners and pilgrims. Hundreds of others have been displaced across the Himalayan region. The steep slopes and lush valleys below the Himalayan mountain range — home to many of the world's highest peaks and remaining glaciers — are especially vulnerable to flooding and landslides. Melting glaciers have become more common because of human-caused climate change. Pakistan, Kuwait sign new defence pact to enhance military ties Images showed what appeared to be the second floors of buildings in Nepal's hard-hit Nuwakot district slathered in mud after the torrent rushed by. Riverbanks and village streets were covered in mud. Debris hung from tree branches and wires. Vehicles were buried, and some stunned survivors were caked in mud. Before-and-after images aired by state broadcaster China Central Television showed a multistory building and more than a dozen vehicles covered in mud. A two-lane road running along a river in a valley in Tibet's Shigatse prefecture was completely buried. Aerial footage also showed that a lake had formed and expanded on the China-Nepal border. PIMS fire shocks nation, probe begins as anger mounts over negligence Nirajan Paudyal, a journalist based in Nepal's capital of Kathmandu, worried for his parents and other relatives in the district's village of Soley. Tags: