More than 1,300 people are missing and at least 165 have died following devastating flash floods in Nepal and Tibet

Rescue teams continued Thursday to search for more than 1,300 people missing following the floods and landslides that struck the border between Nepal and the Chinese region of Tibet, AFP reported. The disaster has left at least 165 dead.

In Nepal, police recovered 162 bodies, while another 823 people remain missing, including 579 Nepalese and foreign tourists. On the Tibetan side, Chinese state media reported three deaths and 558 people missing, including 260 foreign nationals.

Among the unaccounted-for travelers are visitors and pilgrims from the United States, India, Australia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, and South Korea. There have also been reports of possible missing persons from Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, and Ukraine.

Entire villages wiped out

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the disaster was caused by the collapse of a glacier, which triggered a violent surge of water, mud, and debris. The flood surged down the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, sweeping away homes, buses, and cars.

David Fisher, the representative in Nepal for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, stated that "entire villages and market areas have been wiped out."

The Nepalese Army is conducting aerial surveys and has rescued dozens of people, while residents of areas near the rivers have been evacuated. However, rescue efforts are proceeding with difficulty due to the accumulation of mud and debris.