Four South Africans among tourists missing after deadly Nepal-Tibet floods

Four South Africans are among hundreds of tourists and foreign nationals reported missing after devastating flash floods swept through Nepal’s Rasuwa district near the Tibet border.

At least 95 people have died in the disaster, while authorities fear the death toll could rise as rescue teams reach areas cut off by floodwaters and landslides.

Nepal’s Tourism Board has reported that more than 300 travellers remain unaccounted for, including the four South African nationals.

The disaster struck the mountainous Rasuwa district, a popular route for tourists travelling between Nepal and Tibet.

Videos shared by police and rescue teams show a massive surge of water rushing through the area, sweeping away a bridge and destroying buildings and homes within minutes.

Hundreds remain missing

At least 384 people are reportedly missing, with 291 of those believed to be foreign nationals.

The scale of the disaster has prompted a major rescue operation involving Nepal’s armed forces and paramilitary units.

Helicopters have been deployed to reach people stranded by the floods, although extremely high water levels have prevented aircraft from landing in some of the worst-affected areas.

Rescue teams are also facing damaged roads, destroyed bridges and disrupted communications.

What triggered the floods?

The exact cause of the disaster remains under investigation.

Initial reports suggested that an earthquake may have triggered an ice-rock avalanche, sending a huge volume of debris and water into the Lhende Khola river.

The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reportedly recorded a magnitude 4.4 earthquake approximately seven minutes before the time shown on security footage capturing people fleeing the area.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal told parliament that preliminary information indicated an earthquake could have triggered an avalanche and subsequently caused the devastating floods, according to local media reports.

However, there has been no definitive official confirmation that the earthquake was responsible.

Destruction on both sides of the border

The Lhende Khola river flows through the mountainous region between Nepal and Tibet.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported that a mudslide occurred on the Nepali side and struck the Gyirong port in Tibet’s Shigatse region.

The disaster reportedly cut roads and disrupted communications and electricity infrastructure in the area.

Officials in Tibet have also warned of potentially major casualties, with people reported missing in Gyirong County after the mudslide struck a border crossing.

On the Nepalese side, homes, roads and power infrastructure were reportedly swept away by the floodwaters.

Rescue operation continues

With hundreds still missing, emergency teams are continuing to search affected areas.

The mountainous terrain and extensive infrastructure damage are making the operation particularly difficult.

Authorities are working to establish the identities and whereabouts of missing tourists and residents, while helicopters are being used where conditions allow.

For families of those still missing, uncertainty remains as rescue teams continue their efforts in the devastated Himalayan region.

The identities and condition of the four South African nationals remain unclear, and authorities are expected to provide further information as the search and rescue operation progresses.