Massive Flash Flood Hits Nepal

Nepal flood death toll climbs to 359 as around 1,000 remain missing including tourists.

Massive flash floods and mudslides engulfed a remote region on the Nepal-Tibet border. Hundreds more people, including travellers from many countries, are missing following the catastrophe. 

The missing tourists include more than 100 from India, 54 from the US, and 33 from the UK, as well as more than 100 from Nepal itself, according to Nepal's tourist board. The area is popular with pilgrims and trekkers.

Authorities initially thought an earthquake may have triggered a landslide - the US Geological Survey now says the "seismic energy was instead generated by a landslide”.

The area hit by the flood is home to two different high-altitude lakes that are also pilgrim sites revered by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains - Lake Mansarovar near Mount Kailash in Tibet, and the Gosaikunda lake in Nepal's Rasuwa district.

Tens of thousands of tourists make their way through Nepal to Lake Mansarovar annually.  The disaster struck at the time of the year when people, especially Indian tourists,  visit the area.  Travellers from 28 countries including India, China, Australia, the US and the UK are known to be among those missing.