The death toll from the Nepal floods has climbed to at least 543, with more than 1,500 people still missing, including over 500 foreign tourists. Indian pilgrims are among those unaccounted for, as rescuers continue a desperate search through thick mud and landslides along the Nepal-Tibet border. Today, rescuers are locked in a desperate race against time, struggling against thick mud and the constant threat of bursting dams.

How the mountain collapsed

Satellite images show the disaster was caused by a colossal bedrock collapse beneath a high-altitude glacier. The impact was so extreme it registered as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event, sending a massive chunk of glacier and melted ice crashing down. This torrent of ice, rock, and mud swept away buildings, bridges, and earth. In the border village of Timure, customs officer Karbir Gaire felt the ground shake and saw a black storm approaching. He and his colleagues had just ten seconds to run uphill, escaping an inland tsunami that swallowed 15 of his co-workers.

Pilgrims and workers trapped in mud

The tragedy has struck a devastating blow to Indian families. Of 977 people unaccounted for in Nepal, 517 are foreign nationals, with Indians comprising the largest group. Many were on pilgrimage to Tibet's Mount Kailash. Vishnuram Ramaswamy from Puducherry has heard nothing from his mother and sisters since Wednesday. Rajan Tamang's mother and sister perished when the sudden deluge caught them asleep. In India, seven bodies have been recovered from border rivers, believed to be flood victims. Others, like Logadarrsiny Raman from Malaysia, wait in agony for any sign of survival.

Pilgrim Sivaranjani Muthunathan, 46, escaped after her bus was caught in a traffic jam and engulfed by thick fog and surging water. She and 56 others scrambled out of the driver's window as vehicles around them were buried.

Rescuers are working through deep mud and landslides. Helicopters have airlifted 3,253 survivors, but searching remains challenging. At the Trishuli hydropower project, 350 workers were saved, but over 100 remain trapped in a mud-covered tunnel. Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet noted finding them is incredibly hard as mud buried the entrances. Worker Buddha Tamang survived inside the tunnel, while senior officers outside were swept away. Nearby, mothers like Kula Priya wait in heartbreak, pleading for their children and saying they care only for their safe return.

Bursting dams and fleeing holidaymakers

Across the border in Tibet, 680 Chinese rescuers reached Gyirong using drones, rafts, and footpaths, evacuating over a thousand tourists and residents. However, a barrier lake formed by debris continues to threaten the valleys. Nepali police issued fresh evacuation alerts after reports that a dam had burst on the Tibet side. Rescue efforts were briefly paused due to these mounting risks. Though Chinese officials noted water levels are dropping, police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle confirmed that teams are operating under high alert. Amidst the peril, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed Beijing's willingness to assist Nepal's rescue operations, while US President Donald Trump offered Nepalese leaders any support they need.

The disaster has ruined the travel plans of hundreds of Indian tourists, who are now fleeing back to India through the Sonauli border in Uttar Pradesh. Bikers like Chandan Kumar from Bihar turned back after facing heavily flooded roads. Families from Kerala and Mumbai, stranded for hours, abandoned their trips to Pokhara and Kathmandu. For these returning tourists, reaching home is a massive relief. Yet, for hundreds of families across India and the globe, the anxious wait for any news of their missing loved ones goes on.