Rescue workers searched for hundreds of people still missing on Thursday (August 27) after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border of Nepal and China’s Tibet a day earlier, triggering catastrophic flooding that swept through mountain towns ‌and valleys, killing scores of people.

Officials at Nepal’s Tourism Ministry told media outlets that around 340 foreigners were among more than 400 tourists missing after the disaster, which hit a mountainous region popular with trekkers and pilgrims. Some 157 bodies had been recovered so far, Nepal police said ⁠late on Wednesday.

Verified videos showed crushing masses of water and debris sweeping away dozens of people at the border, with authorities in both China and Nepal fearing far higher casualties and massive destruction.

Houses, roads and power projects were washed away in Nepal, while officials in Tibet said they feared “major casualties” after a mudslide hit a border land crossing in the county of Gyirong.- Reuters