Nepal flash floods – live: Dam burst fears halt rescue efforts with 33 Brits missing

Rescuers are still searching for dozens of British nationals who are among those missing and feared dead in Nepal after devastating flash floods killed more than 160 people.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority in Nepal said on Thursday morning that 165 bodies had been recovered following flooding in the Rasuwa region, which borders China’s autonomous region of Tibet.

They said the number of missing people had risen from 403 to 826, with the Nepal Tourism Board saying on Wednesday that 33 UK citizens were among the foreign nationals unaccounted for.

According to the tourism board, 579 travellers are missing from the affected area, including 466 foreign nationals.

At least three people were in Tibet, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, while the Xinhua News Agency said 558 people were unaccounted for in the region.

How did it happen?

Flash floods caused rivers to swell their banks and spread thick mud across populated areas, burying houses and creating difficult conditions for rescuers.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said a magnitude 5.2 seismic event occurred near the border between Nepal and China on Wednesday at 8.37am local time.

It added that a “glacial collapse and debris flow” caused “subsequent catastrophic impacts downstream”.