An international rescue effort is underway in Nepal after a catastrophic glacier collapse in the Himalayas triggered a massive 40-metre wall of water and debris, leaving at least 160 dead and over 400 missing, including 34 Australians.
The disaster struck the Nepal-Tibet border when a glacier chunk broke off, sending ice, rock, and water through the valley. The heavy stream of water swept through entire villages and power grids along the Bhote Koshi River.
Apocalyptic floods and a massive landslide have devastated parts of Tibet and Nepal
The scale of destruction is hard to comprehend pic.twitter.com/2hLlg3BiPO
— Surajit (@surajit_ghosh2) August 26, 2026
The sheer velocity of the water was captured with CCTV at the Gyirong Port border crossing, showing crowds fleeing seconds before the towering wall of black mud and water completely swallows a multi-story car park.
The Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong issued a brief statement confirming that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is working with tour operators and local authorities to confirm the safety of the Australians caught in the disaster zone.
“Our thoughts are with the loved ones of those killed or missing and all affected by this disaster. DFAT officials are urgently working to confirm the welfare of Australians in the area.”
Emergency crews face a race against time, as operations have been severely hampered by severed communications. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development warns a secondary flash flood is highly possible, as massive amounts of residual rock and ice remain wedged upstream, threatening another catastrophic breach.
Photo: By Vyacheslav Argenberg found HERE and is used under a Creative Commons Licence. This image has not been modified.
