At least 1,500 missing after deadly Nepal-Tibet floods

Nepalese police officers watch as earthmovers clear the debris of flash flooding in Nepal's Nuwakot district on Thursday. Niranjan Shrestha/AP hide caption

More than 1,500 people have now been confirmed missing after deadly flash floods hit the Nepal-Tibet border early Wednesday, sweeping away roads, bridges and entire villages. At least 270 people have died in Nepal. In China, authorities say two people have been rescued and the death toll stands at three.

The U.S. Geological Survey says a glacial collapse triggered the floods, after initially reporting the event as a 4.4 magnitude earthquake.

Chinese surveillance footage from the Tibetan side of the border shows a huge wall of mud and debris crashing over buildings and engulfing roads as people desperately try to flee the torrent.

Residents have described their terror as great waves of water barreled down valleys, burying people and homes under the mud. Santa Tamang, a 25-year-old university student who lives in one river valley, spoke to NPR by phone.

Tamang said her family was able to rush to higher ground, carrying her elderly grandmother with them, but their home was washed away. "Everything is gone. My childhood, my family, my community," Tamang said.

Nepal is a popular tourist destination, and many of those missing are foreign nationals. According to the latest figures from the Nepal Tourism Board , 644 overseas nationals have not yet been located. They include 65 U.S. citizens, 178 people from India, 33 from the United Kingdom, 35 from Australia and 25 from Canada.

Chinese officials say 558 people are missing on the Tibet side of the border, including 260 foreign nationals.