Updated August 28, 2026 — 12:12pm,first published August 27, 2026 — 7:36pmWarning: This story contains graphic content.Hundreds of Nepalese people trapped in a tunnel after a catastrophic flash flood swept through the country’s border area with Tibet have been rescued in a dramatic escape, as the number of Australians missing in the disaster continues to grow.As emergency workers scour the mountainous area near the Nepal-Tibet border for survivors, Chinese authorities warned that the landslide had created a large lake at risk of breaking through and causing more flooding.Rescue operations continue in the areas of Nepal devastated by the flash floods.AP/GettyThe lake is currently holding back an estimated 20 million cubic metres of water and that figure could grow through expected rainfall, China’s Ministry of Water Resources said.Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed on Friday morning that at least 39 Australians were understood to be among those reported missing – a figure up from 35 overnight.“The extraordinary scale of this disaster and the remoteness of the affected region mean immense challenges lie ahead for the response and recovery,” Wong said in a joint statement with Minister for International Development Anne Aly.Wong told ABC radio it was an “an unfortunate possibility” that more Australians could be reported missing in coming days as the true scale of the disaster becomes clear.The Australian government will provide $5 million in humanitarian assistance, and Wong was preparing to speak to her Nepalese counterpart on Friday afternoon to discuss other ways Australia could support the recovery and rebuilding effort.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a post on social media: “Australia is sending crisis and humanitarian response specialists to help after the devastating Nepal-China floods. We’re also providing humanitarian assistance including food, emergency shelter and medical support.”Greens senator David Shoebridge said the $5 million pledged by Australia would “not come close” to meeting the need for recovery and repair efforts.“I think Australia needs to step up and really commit to helping rebuild. This is a country with minimal spare resources,” he said.The flash flood, powerful enough to tear large buildings away from their foundations and rip up bridges, has killed at least 389 people, although that number could rise dramatically in coming days.More than 1300 people are reported missing, including more than 650 foreign nationals from over 30 countries, including India, the United States, Britain and Canada.Nepalese Home Minister Sudhan Gurung said the focus remained on finding survivors as rescue teams located 100 missing Indian visitors – mostly pilgrims to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus – and 25 Chinese workers in the worst-hit region around Trishuli.The Nepalese Prime Minister’s Office said 883 locals and labourers had been rescued in the Rasuwa mountainous district, including an “extremely dangerous and challenging” rescue mission that freed 350 people trapped in the tunnel of a hydropower plant.“The troops are still gathering to safely evacuate more than 100 people trapped in the same tunnel,” the office said.Footage released by the office showed a team of Nepalese soldiers crawling through thick mud up a steep passageway to enter the tunnel and save those trapped inside.Tom Fletcher, the United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said aid teams were experiencing major difficulties trying to reach the areas most affected by the floods due to the extent of damage to roads and bridges in the area.“It’s a very, very challenging terrain for them to be navigating right now,” Fletcher told CNN. “We’re having to use air assets to reach them … The immediate priority is saving as many lives as we can.”Footage released by the BBC showed a giant boulder being swept along by the flood, underlining the force of the torrent.Fear of further flooding if lakes burstNepal and China both warned on Thursday of the risks of further flooding in the Himalayas as two lakes that have developed on either side of their border threaten to burst in a region still grappling with this week’s catastrophic flood.Nepal’s disaster authority issued a notice on Thursday warning that a lake formed by debris blocking a river at the flood site is rising and at risk of bursting.“Residents of the lower banks ... passengers, rescuers engaged in rescue operations, and all concerned are requested to exercise special caution and stay in safe places away from the river banks and risky areas,” the authority said.Chinese President Xi Jinping dispatched his second-in-command to visit, Premier Li Qiang, to the devastated areas of Tibet, demonstrating the severity of the disaster.Li inspected emergency rescue and relief operations, and visited first responders and displaced people in temporary shelters, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.Nepal braces for grim searchNepal is grimly accustomed to earthquakes, landslides and floods. This disaster, however, may be the worst since an earthquake in 2015 killed about 9000 people. And what may prove unique about Wednesday’s events is the number of foreigners dead or missing.In the streets of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, life carries on, even as the country braces for days of intense search and rescue operations in the affected areas.Residents walk along a muddy road following the flash floods in Trishuli, Nepal.Getty ImagesThe flood is a major test for Nepal’s fledgling government and its new leader, former rapper Balendra Shah, who rode to power on a wave of Gen Z enthusiasm. He will need to work closely with regional neighbours China and India.The country’s tourism industry, which supports over 1 million jobs, will take a hit in a peak period, and will be anxious about the future given Nepal’s frequency of extreme weather events.The aftermath from a tidal wave of mud, rock and water that devastated towns and villages along the Lhende River.AFPA flooded section of road in Nukawot, central Nepal. NurPhoto via Getty ImagesWhich regions were hit?The Bhote Koshi River flooded about 9am on Wednesday (1pm AEST), destroying several villages as well as roads and hydropower projects, officials said.Warnings were issued in several districts urging people to stay away from the banks of the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers.Damaged houses stand precariously near the swollen, debris-choked banks of the Trishuli River after flash floods in Nepal’s Nuwakot district.AP Photo/Niranjan ShresthaThe flood triggered a mudslide that hit Gyirong Port, a major land crossing with neighbouring Tibet, cutting roads, communications, and power links to the area.On Friday morning (AEST), the Nepalese prime minister’s office said more than 350 workers and local people had been rescued from a tunnel – part of a hydropower plant – near the Trishuli river. The Nepali army was still working to rescue 100 more people inside, the office said on Facebook.Damaged houses in the aftermath of the flood in Nuwakot province, Nepal.AP“We have asked both India and China to help us with the rescue efforts,” said Sasmit Pokharel, a spokesperson for the Nepali government.China has deployed at least 574 rescuers to the land crossing, and India says it was co-ordinating closely with Kathmandu on rescue and relief efforts.People living in low-lying regions were being moved to safer areas, and those along the river have been advised to remain alert, as authorities warn that a second flood may occur because a blockage remains upstream.Flood alerts have also been issued in the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which border Nepal, since several rivers flow down from the Himalayas into their plains.Rasuwa, the worst-affected area, witnessed a flash flood similar to those in August last year, when a glacial lake in neighbouring Tibet overflowed due to high temperatures in the mountain region. Nine people died, and critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting the two countries, was damaged at the time.Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said the Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River, experienced its highest-recorded flood on Wednesday.Rescuers use an earthmover to carry a survivor to safety along the Trishuli River in Nepal’s Nuwakot district.AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha“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.“In a warming Himalaya, early warning is the first line of adaptation.”Debris lines a muddy river bank near Gyirong Port in south-western Tibet.Xinhua via APThe Himalayan region, which spans Nepal and several neighbouring countries, including India, is especially vulnerable to heavy rains, floods and landslides because it is warming faster than much of the rest of the world due to human-caused climate change.Research has shown that extreme weather events, including heatwaves, heavy rains and melting glaciers, have become more frequent in the region.Members of the Kathmandu research group found this year that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are melting at an accelerating rate, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000 primarily due to rising global temperatures and climate change.Australians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135, or +61 2 6261 3305 (if calling from overseas).Matthew Knott is the foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X, Facebook or email.Zach Hope is South-East Asia correspondent. 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