At least 31 people have been killed, and hundreds of tourists are missing, after a massive flash flood and mudslide on the Nepal-Tibet border
The missing tourists include more than 100 from India and 12 from the UK, according to Nepal's tourist board. The area is popular with pilgrims and trekkers
CCTV from Tibet shows a wall of water and mud hitting buildings at a border crossing - other images from Nepal show people trying to flee as the flood surges
In Tibet, Chinese President Xi Jinping is offering personal directives - that usually means an incident is very serious, writes our correspondent in Beijing, Laura Bicker
Nepal's foreign minister says the flood may have been caused by an earthquake triggering an avalanche
This is the most devastating disaster in Nepal since the 2015 earthquake which killed 9,000 people, reports the BBC's Phanindra Dahal in Kathmandu
Nepal police say the death toll from the floods has risen to 95, according to AFP and Reuters.
This is up from the 31 deaths reported by authorities just a few hours ago.
Anbarasan Ethirajan
Global affairs correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesA pilgrim on pilgrimage at at Mount Kailash in Tibet
Nepal is a popular destination for mountaineers and trekkers, and Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. Thousands of people visit Nepal each year to offer prayers at religious sites.
This is also a busy season for those visiting Mount Kailash, located in the Ngari prefecture of Tibet, which is controlled by China. It’s a 10-day trip from Kathmandu. Thousands cross the Nepal border into Tibet to see these holy places.
Now Nepal Tourism officials say hundreds of these pilgrims, including more than 100 Indians, are missing. The Nepal-Tibet border point at Gyirong - which was hit by a wall of mud and water - is a popular border crossing for the pilgrims.
A tour operator in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu said his clients travelled on three buses in the mountainous region. One of his colleagues said that when there was a massive landslide they tried to escape from the area but one of the buses fell from the road and they were waiting for information on the passengers.
He said the Nepalese army had been assisting in the search and rescue operation. More than 40 people from the state are reported to be unaccounted for.
The embassies in Nepal of the UK, Australia, Finland, France, Norway, Switzerland, and the EU are encouraging their citizens in the areas affected by flooding to "follow the guidance of local authorities and official safety advisories".
"We are deeply saddened by the devastating flooding in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and surrounding areas," they say in a joint statement.
"Our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster. We express our solidarity with the people of Nepal during this difficult time."
Image source, ReutersNepal police say 114 people have been rescued in the area of the Bhotekoshi river in Rasuwa, where the floods hit on Wednesday, according to local media.
The Nepalese army has rescued more than 80 people through various flights, while 29 have been rescued though various private helicopter companies, Nepal TV and Radio Nepal report.
We reported earlier that 12 British nationals were among the approximately 400 missing tourists.
A tour company now confirms a dozen Britons are missing from one of its excursions across the Nepal-Tibet border.
Ram Kumar Adhikari, manager of Alpine Eco Trek, tells the Press Association (PA) there is "not much info to share at the moment, but yes we have 12 British citizens [supposed] to make entry this morning".
The ages of the missing Britons range from 13 to 65, PA reports, citing travel logs.
Two Irish nationals and four South African nationals were also on the excursion and are believed missing, Adhikari says.
The US embassy in Nepal says it is working to account for citizens who may have been affected by the disaster.
At least three US citizens are known to be missing following the deadly flash flood.
The embassy is urging Americans to avoid the affected area.
As emergency personnel work to find survivors, more pictures are coming in that reveal the extent of the damage in Nepal's Nuwakot district.
Nepalese Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal says there is a still a risk in coastal Nuwakot, and is asking residents to say on high alert.
Residental blocks and cars can be seen submerged in mud and water, some almost entirely.
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Image source, AFP via Getty Images
Laura Bicker
China correspondent
Image source, ReutersCCTV footage shows the moment a flash flood slams into the Gyirong border crossing
There are significant casualties in Tibet after a devastating mudslide, according to Chinese state media. A number of people are also reported missing.
Footage from a surveillance camera at the border appears to show buildings being completely submerged by mud and water.
It is always difficult in China to get an idea of the scale of a disaster as all media in the country are carefully controlled, particularly in Tibet.
But when the top leader, President Xi Jinping, offers personal directives, it is usually an indication an incident is very serious.
He has urged rescue teams to do all they can to search for those missing.
The border at Gyirong County is the main crossing point for tourists and traffic going between China and Nepal. Around 4,000 people live there. There were also a number of Chinese construction projects underway in the Tibetan border region, according to local workers who spoke to the BBC.
Multiple agencies have been mobilised including a team of 200 geological, engineering and emergency response personnel equipped with reconnaissance drones, 3D laser scanners, life detectors and rescue equipment were mobilised.
Roads, communications and power in the region are also still disrupted.
Phanindra Dahal
BBC Nepali, Kathmandu
Image source, ReutersAn injured man is rushed to a hospital for treatment following a flash flood at Trishuli in Nuwakot district, Nepal
This is the most devastating disaster in Nepal since the 2015 earthquake which claimed nearly 9,000 lives.
Several downstream districts along the Nepal-China border have been impacted. Officials say there has been huge loss of life and property but are yet to present a clear estimate.
Several settlements in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts along the banks of the Bhotekoshi river are the worst affected. They are sparsely populated, but their roads serve as a major lifeline for Nepal-China trade. Critical infrastructure, including hydropower, highways and bridges along the area, has been destroyed.
Local authorities have confirmed the death toll is at least 31 and a spokesperson told the BBC that the scale of damage "has been beyond imagination".
Thousands of tourists, including Indian nationals, travel through this area to make a journey to Kailash Mansarovar, located in Tibet. Every year during the local Hindu festival of Janai Purnima, hundreds of Nepali pilgrims visit Gosaikunda, located inside a national park in the region, for worship.
As dusk approaches, it is a race against time for officials to conduct search and rescue operations.
Last year, a flash flood in the same area killed 18 people and caused damaged worth over Rs 6bn (£46m). This tragedy has once again taken a heavy toll on the community living along the same area.
According to local authorities, the death toll has now risen to 31, as of 17:25 local time (11:40 GMT).
Ninety-three people are also confirmed to have been injured.
Before-and-after satellite images show flooding in the areas around the Trishuli river.
In each composite, the first image was taken three days ago before flash flooding. The second, taken today, shows a swollen river and water in the surrounding areas.
As we've been reporting, the government says the cause may have been an earthquake triggering an avalanche.
By Adam Durbin
A new video filmed from inside a bus in Trishuli shows dozens of people trying to flee as a flash flood surges down the valley.
The verified video shows floodwaters rapidly swelling and spilling down the river, as many attempt to flee on foot, moped and other vehicles.
Passengers can be heard crying out in alarm on board, as the bus drives along the road which follows the river.
BBC Verify has already confirmed other clips capturing the moment the flood struck the town and revealing its destructive aftermath.
Image source, XDramatic images show rescue efforts under way with an older woman being transported to safety in Trishuli Bazar, Nuwakot district.
In one picture, she sits alongside rescuers in the scoop of a digger.
In another, police officers carry her to safety in their arms.
Image source, EPA
Image source, ReutersEight South Korean nationals are currently "uncontactable" following the flash flood, according to South Korea's foreign ministry.
The ministry says those missing were constructing a hydropower plant in the area.
It adds that another 10 South Korean nationals are stranded in the area and awaiting rescue.
The Nepalese government has sent a helicopter to rescue them, according to the ministry.
Image source, ReutersA spokesman for Nepal's army says 88 flood survivors have been rescued so far, with troops trying to rescue another 115 from the village of Mailung.
Rajaram Basnet tells the BBC that 15 helicopters have been mobilised for search and rescue operations.
The Ministry of Home Affairs in Nepal says huge loss of life and property is reported in Timure, Syabrubesi and Betrawati.
It says the flood caused damage to the Trishuli hydropower project and swept away bridges in different places.
Image source, EPAAt least 18 have died and hundreds are missing after a flash flood hit Nepal and Tibet earlier today. Here's what we know:
About 400 tourists - including 291 foreigners - are reportedly missing, the head of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) tells BBC Nepali.
Most of them were bound for Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet.
"The figure is being updated as reports continue to come in from tour operators running Tibet-bound packages for rescues," says Hikmat Singh Ayer, the board's acting CEO.
Those unaccounted for include more than 100 Indians, 17 Malaysians, 12 Britons, four South Africans, and nationals from the United States, Australia, and the Netherlands.
The flood-affected route also serves as a key gateway to Langtang National Park trekking and Gosainkunda, a holy lake on the lap of mountains, where people pay homage during the Rakshabandhan festival which occurs this Friday.
Nepal police have published a statement saying that 18 people had been confirmed dead by 15:45 local time (10:00 GMT).
One man was found dead in Rasuwa, seven people in Nuwakot, six in Dhading and four in Gorkha, the statement says.
We're now starting to get pictures from Tibet, where CCTV footage captures a wall of mud and water hitting the border checkpoint buildings at Gyirong.
The flash flood and mudslide partially submerged villages in an area popular with trekkers.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Reuters
Image source, ReutersChinese state media outlet CCTV is reporting "major casualties" from a mudslide at a trade hub on the Tibetan side of the shared border.
China's President Xi Jinping is urging "all-out" search efforts for the missing, as well as stronger monitoring and early warning systems to prevent secondary disasters.
The Chinese government has also instructed personnel to go to Tibet - which is controlled by China - for search and rescue missions.
