BEIJING (AP) — Devotees on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash — a sacred site in the Himalayas -- were among the many people missing after the massive floods along the border between Nepal and China.

Here’s what to know about the mountain and its centuries-old role as a pilgrimage site.

Mount Kailash is sacred for several religious traditions

Mount Kailash is a Himalayan peak in southwestern Tibet, near China’s borders with Nepal and India. It rises more than 6,400 meters (21,000 feet) above sea level and lies close to Lake Manasarovar. Both have long been part of Sanskrit religious and literary traditions.

Mount Kailash holds sacred significance for Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the Tibetan Bon tradition. Each associates the mountain with different beliefs and sacred histories.

According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, the mountain is considered the home of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, and Parvati, a Hindu goddess associated with marriage, fertility and motherhood.

Geographer Emily Yeh, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, who has conducted research in Tibet, wrote in 2017 that Kailash is associated with the mythical Mount Meru, considered the center of the world in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology.

The journey around the peak is believed to cleanse pilgrims of their sins...

https://apnews.com/article/mount-kailash-sacred-pilgrims-nepal-tibet-floods-259253eafa9dd331ec71033296da7c36  

It is now known what caused the historic Nepal floods on Wednesday that resulted in hundreds of people dying and thousands more going missing, including dozens of Americans.

As the BBC reported, the US Geological Survey revealed the flash floods were triggered by a massive high altitude glacial collapse in a mountainous area near the Nepal-Tibet border.

This triggered seismic activity and catastrophic downstream impacts along the Trishuli River, while floodwaters spread across several regions in Nepal.

At last count, more than 350 souls have perished in the floods. More than 1,300 people also remain missing or unaccounted for across the region.

This number includes at least 65 American citizens.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said America “stands ready to support the Government of Nepal with needed humanitarian assistance.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/revealed-here-is-what-caused-apocalyptic-nepal-floods/  

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia on Friday, prompting a tsunami warning.

Violent shaking was felt in the Flores region.

The number of casualties is unknown.

Videos posted to social media show people running as buildings crumble during the quake.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning and urged residents to stay away from beaches and riverbanks. The agency located the shallow undersea quake near Flores island. Residents along affected coastlines were advised to move to higher ground as officials are closely monitoring coastal tide gauges for any changes.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/powerful-magnitude-7-7-earthquake-strikes-indonesia-tsunami/  

The Geological Service of Colombia confirmed a magnitude 7.4 earthquake rocking the country around 7:34 a.m. local time in the western region of Chocó, potentially causing significant damage.

...throughout the west of the country had recorded alarming videos of buildings swaying, their windows crashing down and leaving trails of debris on the streets. At press time, however, authorities have not documented any deaths, though local officials in Chocó warned that they expect a high number of casualties.

The earthquake arrived about a month after twin earthquakes of similar magnitude — 7.2 and 7.5 — struck in the heart of neighboring Venezuela.  The impoverished socialist country documented as many as 50,000 people missing and the collapse of entire blocks of buildings, a product both of being hit by two high-magnitude earthquakes and two decades of socialist government incompetence and corruption, which led to a lack of appropriate safety regulations in the construction of high-rises for earthquake-prone areas.

As of Monday morning, the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported that the Colombian cities of Bogotá, Eje Cafetero, Tolima, Huila, Valle del Cauca, Manizales, and Medellín, in addition to San José del Palmar in Chocó, have announced evacuations of buildings to prevent people from being caught in potentially imminent collapses.

Governor Nubia Carolina Córdoba issued an online update in which she described the incident as a “grave seismic event,” adding, “we are concerned about aftershocks.”

https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2026/08/10/massive-7-4-magnitude-earthquake-rocks-colombia/  

A massive 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the Japanese southern island of Kyushu today (28), causing destruction and injuries, officials said.

The earthquake, centered on the town of Kumamoto, prompted a tsunami advisory that was quickly lifted.

Associated Press reported:

“Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a message posted on X, said her government has set up a task force to gather information, assess possible damage and prepare for rescue operations if needed.

Takaichi later told reporters that there have been reports of a number of injuries and damages to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fire, though details are still unclear. 

“A train was derailed and fell on its side at the Yatsushiro station, and stone walls were damaged at the Kumamoto castle, Kyodo said.

An Aeon shopping mall collapsed, and there are people trapped inside, with the TBS broadcaster reporting a ‘considerable’ number of deaths.

NHK broadcaster reports at least 50 people taken to hospital with injuries. 12 houses had collapsed, with four cases in which people had been trapped inside.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/07/now-magnitude-7-1-earthquake-hits-japan-damage/  

Very scary footage has emerged of literally hundreds of venomous snakes escaping a breeding farm as floodwaters tear through a Chinese village.

The New York Post reported:

“ cobras were among the almost 900 reptiles that were reportedly released when days of heavy rain caused severe flooding in the area and destroyed their facility.

The bizarre clip shows snakes popping their heads up above the water and slowly slither their way across the body of water in a very Loch Ness style of horror.”

The breeding farm reportedly housed a mix of venomous cobras, king rat snakes and non-venomous water snakes – as well as alligators.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/07/horror-first-reservoir-collapsed-village-was-flooded-then/  

Saturday is a "crucial day" for search and rescue efforts, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher says in an interview with BBC Radio 4.

Rescue experts believe that the first 48 to 72 hours are critical to the chances of finding survivors in the rubble.

Over 1,430 people have been confirmed dead in the earthquakes...and more than 3,000 have been injured.

But the actual death toll is feared to be much higher. At least 51,000 people have been reported missing.

https://swedenherald.com/article/venezuela-earthquake-rescue-efforts-enter-critical-stage-as-survivors-feared-trapped-in-rubble