China identifies countries of 261 foreigners missing in Himalayan mudslide

World chinaindia China identifies countries of 261 foreigners missing in Himalayan mudslide India is sending specialized rescue teams and heavy infrastructure to Nepal. A fourth IAF flight is airborne with forensics and tunnel experts. 16 trucks carrying a 230-foot modular steel bridge have also reached the country. pic.twitter.com/SpKPwq8eqp— Akash Sharma (@kaidensharmaa) August 29, 2026 Relevant News China identifies countries of 261 foreigners missing in Himalayan mudslide 30 August 2026 Police arrest eight people during nationwide overnight crime prevention operations 30 August 2026 Christodoulides–Erhürman talks expose deep divide over confidence-building measures 30 August 2026 Newsroom 30 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber China on Sunday said 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries were missing on the Tibetan side of a border crossing with Nepal following a mudslide which tore through the Himalayan region, while the death toll in Tibet has reached 16 people. Officials from China’s Tibet Autonomous Region said at a press conference that the highest number of missing foreigners was from Nepal at 104, while 49 Indian, 33 Latvian, 18 American and 15 British citizens were also unaccounted for. They said authorities in Beijing have notified foreign missions. Image The nationality breakdown was the first from the Chinese side since the collapse of a glacier on Wednesday unleashed a torrent of ice, rock, mud and debris down Himalayan rivers. Authorities said 16 people had died in Gyirong County as of Saturday evening and that 546 were missing. In Nepal, the disaster authority said at least 675 people were killed on its side of the border, 2,498 are missing and 7,514 have been rescued. Local police told Reuters that residents and rescue workers have moved to higher ground after the water level in the nearby Trishuli River rose over the past few hours, underscoring the risk of further flooding even as rescue efforts continue. CHINA LINKS DISASTER TO GLOBAL WARMING The disaster was “caused by glacier instability under the long-term effects of global warming”, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Sunday, saying it is a “new and prominent feature of cryosphere disasters” on the Tibetan plateau. It took six to seven minutes for the mudslide from the Nepalese side to reach the Gyirong border crossing, CCTV reported, citing the findings of Chinese scientists. Surveillance footage from the crossing showed torrents of water and debris engulfing buildings while people tried to flee. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Nepalese counterpart in a Saturday telephone call that the mudslide was their “most severe cross-border disaster” in recent years, and that rescue operations were of unprecedented difficulty and complexity, CCTV reported. China has mobilised over 2,100 emergency rescue workers and allocated at least 220 million yuan ($32.7 million) to support relief efforts. It is also providing emergency cash aid, disaster relief supplies, satellite and hydrological data and tunnel rescue experts to Nepal, the state broadcaster said. Image The countries are working together to identify missing citizens and foreign nationals, as well as strengthening cooperation in disaster prevention and mitigation, and climate-change response, CCTV reported. More than 90,000 people are likely to have been affected by the disaster, the Red Cross estimated. (Reuters) Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Police arrest eight people during nationwide overnight crime prevention operations Christodoulides–Erhürman talks expose deep divide over confidence-building measures Cyprus power outages: How a communication failure and a fault in the north triggered system protections Dionysis Tsirigotis: Turkey is expanding its geopolitical footprint, creating new realities for Cyprus Deadly summer storm leaves one dead, injuries and widespread damage across Cyprus Sunny weather ahead as temperatures set to rise above seasonal average Limassol businessman, rally driver Dimi Mavropoulos dies in boat disaster off Cape Greco Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.