More than 1,300 are missing in Nepal and Tibet after catastrophic floods caused by glacial collapse

DEVIGHAT, Nepal (AP) — Rescue teams were searching for hundreds of missing people along the Nepal-China border after a catastrophic and deadly torrent of floods and mud swept through several communities a day earlier following a glacial collapse.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority in Nepal said 826 people were missing and the death toll from the country’s flash floods rose to 165 on Thursday. Nepalese authorities ramped up operations in the worst-affected districts of Nuwakot and Rasuwa.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV separately reported that 260 of the 558 missing people in Tibet were foreigners and two villagers were rescued. At least three people were killed as of Thursday morning, it said.

The disaster in Nepal and Tibet is not a one-off. The Lhende Khola river system has now flooded twice in just 14 months and the increasingly unstable Himalayan ice system threatens communities, infrastructure and water supplies across one of the world’s most densely populated regions.

The region saw similar flash floods in August last year, when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed because of high temperatures. Nine people were killed, and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China, was damaged.

Drone footage in Nepal showed roads destroyed and buildings buried by thundering water the color of wet cement.

The region’s steep valleys are economic lifelines and travel corridors but are precarious when disaster strikes. Images showed what appeared to be the second floors of buildings in Nepal’s hard-hit Nuwakot district slathered in mud after the torrent rushed by. Debris hung from tree branches and wires, vehicles were buried and some stunned survivors were caked in mud. The floods halted travel in some areas.

There was little time for anyone to flee.

“When I reached Dhunge bazaar, in half an hour, the flood came and damaged all the market. People were preparing to go to office then,” resident Shoyam Rajbhandari said. “How many people are missing or dead, we don’t know.”

Since early morning, army and private helicopters have been deployed. The Nepalese army has rescued more than 100 people from flood-affected areas through helicopter operations on Thursday morning, army spokesperson Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet said.

At least eight foreign nationals were airlifted to Kathmandu, he said, adding that army teams also evacuated people trapped inside facilities linked to the Trishuli hydropower project.

Rescuers found bodies about a hundred kilometers downstream from the disaster zone in Chitwan district. Dozens of injured people have been transported to the country's capital, Kathmandu, for advanced medical care.

In Tibet, a mudslide that struck near the land border crossing of Gyirong Port on Wednesday left mud in the surrounding areas more than 1.5 meters deep (5 feet) on average, with some road sections exceeding 2 meters (6 feet), Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported Thursday. Roads leading to the port were all damaged, while communication was cut off, it said. With light rain continuing in the area, secondary collapses or landslides may occur, it added.

CCTV said a barrier lake has also been discovered in the direction of the port, posing challenges to the rescue operation. Chinese authorities deployed a large military transport aircraft to send a team to the region, it said.

Officials in Nepal had earlier said hundreds of foreigners were reported missing, including Indian nationals on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters Thursday at least 34 Australians on pilgrimages and hiking tours were missing.

“We understand these Australians were part of separate pilgrimage and tour groups,” Wong told reporters in Adelaide, Australia.

The Nepalese government had not yet requested help but Australia was coordinating with Nepal, the United Nations, the Red Cross and other organizations on a humanitarian response, she said.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday revised upward its number of missing, saying 55 Malaysians in Kathmandu are now unreachable, with severe disruptions to infrastructure hampering efforts to contact them. It said there is no official confirmation of Malaysian casualties and that it was working closely with authorities to ascertain their safety and whereabouts.

The U.S. Geological Survey first reported a magnitude 4.4 earthquake early Wednesday, about 66 kilometers (41 miles) north of Kathmandu, near the border. The USGS later updated its analysis to say the seismic event it measured was a magnitude 5.2 glacial collapse that sent debris flowing downstream with catastrophic impact on communities. It said its determination was based on data from nearby seismic stations, long period seismic waves and satellite imagery, and that no earthquake had occurred.

Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said an avalanche from a glacier likely caused Wednesday’s flash flood.

“Hydrological observations indicate the exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave,” they said in an emailed statement, noting that water levels at one point on the Trishuli river rose by as much as 9 meters (27 feet) over half an hour.

The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, had maximum flooding, they said.

“The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 months, this time triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream,” said Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the climate research group.

He noted the importance of early warnings in “a warming Himalaya.”

The Himalayan mountain range spans several countries in South Asia and has many of the world’s highest peaks and remaining glaciers.

The steep slopes and the lush valleys below the Himalayan mountain range are especially vulnerable to flooding and landslides, and extreme weather events like intense monsoons and melting glaciers have become more common because of warming due to human-caused climate change.

Researchers in Kathmandu found earlier this year that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are melting faster, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000.

The threat from melting glaciers has become a global concern.

Kafle reported from Kathmandu, Nepal. Associated Press journalists Kanis Leung in Hong Kong, Rod McGuirk in Melbourne, Australia, and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report.

Residents carry their belongings as they walk to safer areas in the aftermath of flash floods in Devighat, in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Damage in the aftermath of flash floods in Devighat in the Nuwakot district in Nepal, Thursday, Aug 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescuers prepare before heading to the mudslide-stricken area near Gyirong Port in Gyirong County, southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region early Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (Tenzing Nima Qadhup/Xinhua via AP)

Damaged houses and vehicles are seen in the aftermath of flash floods along the Trishuli River in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

This photo released by Xinhua News Agency, shows a mudslide-hit area near Gyirong Port in southwestern China's Tibetan Autonomous Region on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (Xinhua via AP)

Rescuers use an earthmover to carry a victim of flash flooding to safety along the Trishuli River in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Rescuers carry a victim of flash flooding to safety along the Trishuli River in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

NEW YORK (AP) — Jakub Mensik texted Karolina Muchova on the eve of the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament so they could coordinate their outfits. Looking good on the court is important, he figured.

Now they look like a million bucks.

Muchova and Mensik won the title Wednesday night in their first time playing together, beating Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 1-6 (10-6).

The Czech duo, wearing the same pink tops and maroon bottoms they settled on Monday, pulled out match tiebreakers in both matches on the second night of the two-day event, fueled by Mensik's powerful serve combined with some good hands near the net. He put away the final with an ace to earn $1 million for him and Muchova to share.

“I think at the end, really the matching outfit made the difference for us,” Muchova said.

They were a point from losing in the semifinals, erasing two match points and running off the final four to edge Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev 5-4 (6), 3-5 (11-9).

Quite a performance, considering Mensik said he had never played in a mixed doubles event.

“My first mixed doubles, 100% win rate,” he said.

Bencic and Cobolli rallied to end the run of spouses Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils in the first semifinal with a 4-5 (7), 4-1 (10-5) victory.

They appeared headed toward a matchup with Andreeva and Rublev, who were smiling and pumping their fists after opening the lead in the match tiebreaker. Muchova flung her racket to the court in disgust after missing a volley that gave the Russians a 7-5 lead.

But the Wimbledon women’s runner-up never lost belief, thanks in part to her hard-serving partner, who will turn 21 next week.

When Mensik first asked Muchova to play, she told him to improve his ranking. When the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament was revamped last year, the ability to directly qualify was based on the combined singles rankings of the two players.

Mensik then did his part by reaching the semifinals of the French Open.

“I put a little pressure on him, but in a fun way. It worked,” Muchova said. “I’m happy we managed and we got in, that we are here now.”

The final was the only match of the tournament that resembled a regular match, with standard sets to six games and a tiebreaker at 6-all. Through the first three rounds, sets were to four games, with a tiebreaker at 4-all.

Bencic and Cobolli knocked Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz out of the tournament Tuesday in the quarterfinals.

Then they dropped a set for the first time in the tournament in the semis, but began to dominate midway through the second set, winning the final 11 points to force the match tiebreaker. But they couldn't win their second one in the final.

“This year is already the second final. I never expected in my life to play a Grand Slam,” said Cobolli, this year's French Open runner-up. “This is mixed but still something that you never forget.”

It was the second year of the new format in mixed doubles, with the event shortened and moved to the week before the singles main draw begins, with the U.S. Tennis Association hoping that would get top singles players to compete.

Plenty of top names did compete but much of the star power, including Williams and Alcaraz, went out early. Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic lost their opening match, as did Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz.

That could explain a good number of empty seats in Ashe, particularly after both semifinals went the distance and pushed the start of the final back toward nearly 11 p.m. EDT.

None of the teams featuring doubles specialists survived to the final four, leaving an opening for some players still seeking Grand Slam glory such as Rublev, who has fallen 10 times in major quarterfinals.

Svitolina and Monfils, who have both reached the U.S. Open singles semifinals, accepted a wild card to team up for the first time. Married since 2021, they were trying to win a championship in the final appearance in a Grand Slam tournament for Monfils, who will turn 40 on Sept. 1, before he retires.

They pulled out a back-and-forth tiebreaker in the first set in which they blew a 4-0 lead, then erased two set points. They went ahead 8-7 when Bencic tried to hit a cross-court backhand but nailed Cobolli, who had strayed into the middle. Cobolli then double-faulted to lose the set.

Bencic and Cobolli recovered, but then had a poor start to the final after a long break between matches. The Czechs pounced quickly, then finished well late.

Their biggest challenge may have been the outfit selection. Mensik apparently wasn't familiar with the word maroon.

Now he knows and loves it.

“My favorite color right now is pink and maroon, that’s for sure,” he said.

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Jakub Mensik, of the Czech Republic, left celebrates with Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, after they won the mixed doubles final match against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Jakub Mensik, of the Czech Republic, celebrates after he and Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, defeated Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, in the mixed doubles final match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Jakub Mensik, of the Czech Republic, celebrates with Karolina Muchova, right, of the Czech Republic, after they won the mixed doubles final match against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Belinda Bencic, right, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, sit between sets while competing against Jakub Mensik, of the Czech Republic, and Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, during the mixed doubles final match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Jakub Mensik, left, of the Czech Republic, and Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, react during the mixed doubles final match against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Jakub Mensik, left, of the Czech Republic, and Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, react during the mixed doubles final match against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Karolina Muchova, left, of the Czech Republic, returns the ball while competing with Jakub Mensik, of the Czech Republic, against Mirra Andreeva, of Russia, and Andrey Rublev, of Russia, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, reacts after missing a shot while competing with and Gael Monfils, of France, against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, and Gael Monfils, left, of France, react while competing against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Belinda Bencic, left, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, react while competing against Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, and Gael Monfils, of France, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, left, celebrate after defeating Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, and Gael Monfils, of France, in a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)