the news now
This is a new development in a story we have covered before · earlier coverage

Death Toll Surpasses 600 as Thousands Remain Missing in Nepal and Tibet Floods

evening · · thread: Extreme Rainfall and Flooding Cause Widespread Devastation Across Asia

26 sources across 16 countries · 3 of them are linked to a state

Who reported this

  • Scroll.in India · Left · Scroll Media Inc, reader-funded
  • The Hindu India · Centre-left · Kasturi & Sons (family-owned)
  • The Indian Express India · Centre · Indian Express Group (Goenka family)
  • Hindustan Times India · Centre-right · HT Media (KK Birla group)
  • The Guardian United Kingdom · Centre-left · Scott Trust Limited
  • The Independent United Kingdom · Centre-left · Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel and Evgeny Lebedev
  • Financial Times United Kingdom · Centre · Nikkei Inc.
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation
  • Hong Kong Free Press Hong Kong · Centre-left · Non-profit, reader-funded
  • South China Morning Post Hong Kong · Centre-right · Alibaba Group
  • Tempo English Indonesia · Centre-left · PT Tempo Inti Media
  • The Jakarta Post Indonesia · Centre-left · PT Bina Media Tenggara
  • Yonhap South Korea · Centre · State-affiliated · Cooperative; statutory national agency with state subsidy
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)
  • CNN United States · Centre-left · Warner Bros. Discovery
  • Associated Press United States · Centre · Non-profit news cooperative
  • La Tercera Chile · Centre-right · Copesa (Saieh family)
  • Deutsche Welle Germany · Centre · Public · German federal public-law corporation
  • Kyodo News Japan · Centre · Non-profit publisher cooperative
  • Malaysiakini Malaysia · Centre-left · Mkini Dotcom, subscriber-funded
  • Dawn Pakistan · Centre-left · Pakistan Herald Publications (Haroon family)
  • Philippine Daily Inquirer Philippines · Centre · Prieto family
  • Al Jazeera Qatar · Centre-left · State-affiliated · Qatari government funded
  • The Straits Times Singapore · Centre-right · State-affiliated · SPH Media Trust; management shares under the NPPA
  • Focus Taiwan Taiwan · Centre · Public · Central News Agency, statutory funding
  • Kyiv Independent Ukraine · Centre · Reader-funded, journalist-owned

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

A catastrophic flash flood and mudslide triggered by a glacier collapse along the Nepal and Tibet border has left over 600 people dead and nearly 3,000 missing. The disaster began on Wednesday in the Rasuwa district of Nepal and the Gyirong area of Tibet. Nepal reported a death toll ranging from 553 to 675 across various updates, while Chinese authorities reported seven deaths in Tibet. Approximately 2,400 people are missing in Nepal and 554 are missing in Tibet. The Red Cross estimates that as many as 93,000 people have been affected by the deluge.

Rescue operations have been hampered by thick mud, destroyed infrastructure, and volatile weather. The Nepal army is working to rescue over 100 people trapped in a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project. Meanwhile, authorities in both countries expressed concern over a newly formed glacial lake that threatened to burst and cause further flooding. In India, officials recovered between seven and ten bodies from rivers flowing from Nepal, believing the victims were swept downstream.

The disaster has impacted numerous foreign nationals, including British, Indian, Japanese, and Filipino citizens. Many were trekkers or pilgrims traveling toward Mount Kailash in Tibet. The UK is deploying a rapid response team and offering 5 million pounds in aid. Hong Kong and Macau have also pledged millions in relief funds. Nepal's Finance Minister estimated that reconstruction costs could reach between 4 billion and 5 billion US dollars.

Logistical challenges have mounted as morgues in districts like Chitwan and Pokhara reached capacity. Authorities in Nepal have begun collecting DNA samples and burying unidentified remains to prevent further decomposition. While Nepal initially declined foreign search and rescue involvement, officials later requested specialized technical assistance for tunnel rescues and body identification.

How each side framed it

Left
This outlet focused on the geographical path of the flood and the recovery of bodies in India.
Centre-left
These outlets emphasized the human trauma of survivors and the specific identities of missing foreign nationals.
Centre
These outlets focused on the scale of destruction, the logistical challenges of rescue, and the economic cost of reconstruction.
Centre-right
These outlets highlighted the international aid efforts and the specific administrative challenges of identifying victims.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.