Hundreds missing after massive mudslide triggers floods in Nepal

Search and rescue teams fanned out across mountain towns and valleys in Nepal on Thursday as the death toll from a major natural disaster continued to mount. The crisis was triggered Wednesday when a massive wall of mud and rock gave way along the Himalayan border region between Nepal and China's Tibet, collapsing into a river and unleashing torrential floodwaters downstream.

The resulting surge swept through populated areas with destructive force, inundating communities and causing widespread damage across the affected valleys. Authorities reported scores of fatalities, though exact casualty figures remained unclear as rescue operations continued.

Hundreds of residents remained missing, prompting an urgent search effort involving rescue workers deployed to remote and difficult-to-access mountain terrain. Teams faced challenging conditions as they navigated damaged infrastructure and unstable ground in their bid to locate survivors and account for the missing.

The incident underscores the vulnerability of communities in the Himalayan region to natural hazards, including landslides and flash flooding that can occur with little warning. Rescue operations were expected to continue in the coming days as authorities worked to establish a complete picture of the disaster's impact.