Ricky Schroder, known for his work alongside Dolly Parton, ignited a storm of criticism from fans following what many deemed a ‘disrespectful’ homage to the beloved country icon, who passed away on Tuesday at 80 years old.

The 56-year-old actor faced backlash for his ‘inappropriate’ tribute on Instagram, where he made controversial remarks about Parton’s political views soon after her death was announced.

The post included a picture of him alongside the iconic “Jolene” singer, accompanied by a caption that read, “I didn’t agree with her advocating for Transgender & Covid Vaccine support…but loved her anyway. Thank you for choosing me, Dolly, to be your Movie Daddy.”

Schroder took on the role of Parton’s father, Robert Lee Patton, in the biographical TV films “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” (2015) and “Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love” (2016).

Fans flooded the comments with disapproval, labeling the actor’s remarks as ‘deeply insensitive’ and condemning his ‘transphobic and anti-vaccine’ sentiment.

Journalist Katie Couric simply wrote ‘ick’ while singer Boy George quipped, ‘Oh shut up!’ 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Schroder for comment, but has yet to hear back.

Amid the backlash, Schroder also took to his Instagram Stories to post a clip of Parton sharing her support for the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Underneath, he wrote: ‘I warned Dolly to not support the Experiment. Wished she listened [sad face emoji].’ 

Fans underneath his Instagram post and on Threads lashed out in the comments, with one writing, ‘Ricky, she just died. You could have honored her without using her death to remind everyone that you disapproved of her supporting trans people and vaccines. What a s****y, self-centered tribute.’

‘“I loved her anyway” what a strange tribute. Good Lord,’ Lioness star Jay Huguley wrote. 

‘Oh ick. That’s just foul,’ another fan added.

‘What a backhanded tribute. Yuck.’

‘Why bring up what you didn’t like?’ someone else questioned.

‘Wow… you should have said nothing.’

‘Imagine being the first (and probably only) person in the whole world to post something negative about Dolly. NOT COOL,’ yet another fan wrote.

‘He could have left the “I didn’t agree with…’ part out. There was no need for it.’

‘No need to even post that..’

‘Don’t make it about you or politics. It’s not a tribute but a statement about you. Why bother?’

‘But what’s the point bringing up things that you didn’t agree on? Does it make you feel better?’ yet another fan asked.

‘She lived her life being a light and not talking politics yet you have do it first thing in a post the day she passes?’

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Another fan called it a ‘tone deaf tribute’, adding, ‘Dolly advocated for love and not judging anyone.’

‘What a tacky post. Shame on you.’

‘Why are some celebrities making their “tributes” to Dolly about them??? Do better or don’t do it at all!!’

‘Honestly dude, please just sit down and be quiet. Honor her or don’t. This is weird,’ yet another comment read.

‘Way to show disrespect schroder. You just had to make it about you you couldnt just offer your sympathies. You had to tell everybody what we already know. That you’re a trumper and a has been actor.’

Schroder was seemingly targeting Parton’s outspoken support for the LGBTQIA+ community, including her opposition to anti-trans legislation.

A devout Christian, Parton spoke about her support for her queer fans in a 2014 Billboard interview.

‘If people want to pass judgment, they’re already sinning. The sin of judging is just as bad as any other sin they might say somebody else is committing. I try to love everybody,’ she said.

When North Carolina’s contentious anti-transgender ‘bathroom bill’ sparked national outrage in 2016, Parton addressed the controversy with her signature compassion.

‘I think everybody should be treated with respect,’ she told CNN, adding, ‘I hope that everybody gets a chance to be who and what they are.’

The country icon also played a pivotal role in battling COVID-19, donating $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help fund the research behind the Moderna vaccine.

The country music legend’s death shocked the world and came after months of health woes that saw her pull out of a string of public appearances, fueling fan fears for her wellbeing.

Those close to the singer said she had both become increasingly reclusive and secretive about her own ill health in recent months.

And on Tuesday, Parton’s representatives revealed she died following a ‘brief battle with cancer’ in a statement to People, though they did not disclose what type of cancer it was.

The star’s death was first confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also acted as her head of security.

She died Tuesday morning after being hospitalized Friday at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center with autoimmune and kidney problems, according to TMZ.

Family insiders indicated that a private service for close friends and relations will be held in Nashville within the next few days.

Fellow stars paid tribute following the news, including Hillary Clinton, Sarah Jessica Parker, Reba McEntire, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Khloe Kardashian and more.

President Donald Trump also paid tribute to Parton and ordered American flags lowered nationwide for one week in her honor.

Parton, often referred to as the Queen of Country, enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned an incredible six decades. Her famous hits include Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You. 

In a shocking twist of legal drama, federal charges have been filed against a man accused of employing a forged signature of Chief Justice John Roberts in a fraudulent Supreme Court order. The order allegedly aimed to dismiss his own criminal case in Indiana, as revealed by court documents.

The man, identified as Joshua M. Culver, allegedly used the alias “Maverick A. Young” and was apprehended in Colorado last Friday. His arrest followed an indictment by a federal grand jury in Indiana, which charged him with four counts of impersonating a U.S. officer or employee. Additionally, he faces charges related to the use of a forged signature of a federal judge and a counterfeit court seal.

Federal prosecutors claim that on September 24, 2025, Culver filed a deceptive document, labeled “Order of Dismissal With Prejudice,” in an ongoing criminal case against him at the Grant County Superior Court in Indiana.

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According to the indictment, the document used a forged signature of Roberts and a counterfeit U.S. Supreme Court seal in an effort to authenticate the purported dismissal order.

The alleged scheme involving the nation’s highest court was not Culver’s first attempt to pass himself off as a federal official, prosecutors say.

Five days before the alleged Roberts forgery, Culver allegedly posed as a National Security Agency agent while contacting the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the indictment, Culver used his purported authority as an NSA agent to make requests that prosecutors say the sheriff’s office otherwise would not have fulfilled, including asking deputies to conduct a welfare check on his biological daughter and provide information about her location.

Culver also allegedly sought the names and information of sheriff’s office employees and claimed he could take “adverse action” against the department in his purported capacity as an NSA agent.

The following day, on Sept. 20, 2025, Culver allegedly called the workplace of an individual identified in the indictment only as “Individual A.”

Prosecutors say he falsely identified himself as a federal agent, claimed the person was “obstructing a federal investigation of a child kidnapping” and represented that he could have the individual arrested for committing a federal felony.

He also allegedly asked the person’s employer to intervene to obtain the individual’s cooperation.

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Months later, in January 2026, Culver allegedly portrayed himself as a “Special Master enforcing orders of the United States Supreme Court” in a communication sent to the Lake County clerk and directed to a Superior Court judge.

Prosecutors allege Culver claimed he had the authority to issue orders and warrants while demanding that the judge and court personnel take several actions, including making changes to vital records and dismissing cases and judgments against him.

The indictment alleges Culver also warned that if officials failed to comply, he and U.S. Marshals would make arrests for “impeding a federal agent, lying to a federal agent, and conspiracy.”

Then, in February, Culver allegedly assumed yet another federal identity, this time portraying himself as the “Director of Tailored Access Operations,” which the indictment describes as a purported intelligence agency.

Prosecutors allege Culver filed a document titled “OFFICIAL SENSITIVE: TAILORED ACCESS OPERATIONS (TAO) COMPLIANCE DIRECTIVE” in Lake County Superior Court in a case pending against him.

The document, which purported to bear official letterhead, allegedly described Culver as a “federal asset” involved in multiple investigations and demanded that officials take a series of actions under a purported “federal directive.”

Those demands included dismissing the case against Culver with prejudice, quashing warrants and requiring Lake County officials to cooperate with a purported “federal audit,” according to the indictment.

Bloomberg Law reported that Culver was arrested Aug. 21 and that the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Colorado was appointed to represent him.

News Media has reached out to the Supreme Court’s Public Information Office, the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Colorado and the Justice Department for comment.

A professor from Malaysia, who gained notoriety for disseminating an array of outlandish pseudo-historical ideas, has been relieved of her duties. Her controversial theories included the claim that ancient Malays imparted their flying kung-fu skills to the Chinese.

Linguist Solehah Yaacob was officially removed from her role as an Arabic linguistics instructor at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) on April 27. The university’s officials confirmed this decision on Sunday.

“She is no longer affiliated with our university as a professor,” stated a spokesperson, who did not disclose the specific reasons behind her dismissal.

The spokesperson further emphasized that Solehah Yaacob is prohibited from using any titles or positions associated with IIUM in promotional activities, media coverage, written works, advertisements, social media, or any form of publicity, whether directly or indirectly.

Yaacob first caught significant online attention in November last year when a video from her 2022 lecture reemerged. In this lecture, she made the bold assertion that ancient Malays were responsible for teaching the Romans the art of shipbuilding.

She doubled down on claims and became the target of intense criticism and mockery as other wild theories emerged, including iron ore deposits being the product of meteor strikes.

An infuriated Yaacob has vowed to challenge her dismissal in court.

“I was dismissed within 24 hours and not given the opportunity to appeal,” she told Free Malaysia Today. 

She also revealed she had turned down the university’s compensation offer that was “equivalent to six months’ salary.”

Yaacob was fired just one day after receiving a Malaysian Research Assessment (MyRA) award from the university.

She was dismissed from her professorship – just five months after IIUM was forced to speak out in response to her shipbuilding claims.

“IIUM upholds academic freedom, but such freedom must be exercised responsibly and grounded in academic accuracy,” the university said, without naming the academic.

Yaacob has come under heavy criticism for the wild claims she has peddled. One theory she peddled came on a podcast, hosted by non-governmental organizations, where she claimed the ancient Malays possessed some sort of supernatural ability and taught flying kung-fu to the Chinese. 

Her theory claiming the Malays taught shipbuilding to the Romans was emphatically debunked by historians. 

Yaacob claimed the ancient Malays had a “superior nautical knowledge” compared to their European counterparts.

Online, she was ridiculed and dubbed “Prof. Sambal Belcan,” the shrimp paste professor, after trying to present the claims as fact, Sinar Daily reported.

James Chin, a political commentator and professor, branded her theory as “pure pseudoscience” and warned that those who try to challenge her thoughts are labeled “anti-Malay, anti-Islam, or worse, a tool of colonial erasure.”

Wan Ramli Wan Daud, a historian, said there was no evidence to support the Yaacob claims, adding any similarities in shipbuilding methods adopted by the civilizations were coincidental, the Strait Times reported.

Despite the heat, the prof defended her remarks, claiming on social media, “My hypothesis, grounded in classical Arabic sources, proposes that the Romans acquired aspects of the art of shipbuilding from the peoples of the Malay Archipelago.”

She also claimed that iron ore deposits came from meteor strikes.

Internet sleuths also appeared to uncover she cited the satirical website “The Onion” in a 2018 journal article. The article has since been edited, with the reference removed.

In a harrowing moment of courage, a 12-year-old girl attempted to rescue her loved ones by placing a frantic 911 call after gunfire erupted during the family’s regular Sunday dinner.

Young Charlotte Ghekiere reached out to emergency services from her residence in Billings, Montana, mere minutes after 6 p.m. on Sunday, reporting that 44-year-old Alan Smith had started shooting during their family gathering.

Amidst her call, gunshots echoed ominously in the background. In less than three minutes, the situation escalated as flames engulfed the house, according to Interim Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O’Donnell.

Jennifer Mercer, a close friend of the family, lauded Charlotte’s extraordinary bravery during the terrifying ordeal.

“She tried to save her family,” Mercer recounted emotionally to the Billings Gazette, her voice breaking with tears.

‘And her mom and dad both agreed she lived by her favorite quote: “I love you more.”‘

Charlotte died in the mass shooting, alongside with her brother, Landon Ghekiere, 15, their step-mother, Megan Ghekiere, and their step-siblings Owen Ireland, 13, and Chloe Ireland, seven.

Smith also killed his own mother, Barbara ‘Barb’ Smith, 69, and father, Dana Smith, 72, as well as his elderly grandmother Evelyn Smith, 92, before taking his own life. 

It is now believed Smith engaged in the rampage after he was kicked out of his parents’ home. 

Alan had followed his parents to Billings after they moved to Montana from Seattle. Public records show the family has been in the state since 2020. 

‘He was like a hermit,’ Adam Ghekiere, the father of the two older children, told the US Sun. ‘It got to the point where his mom didn’t enjoy living in her own house with how he was acting towards them.’

The parents finally kicked Alan out of the house a few weeks ago, Ghekiere said, and they had thought he was staying with another family member out of town.

‘So up until last week, we thought he was out of state because he said, “You know, I’m gonna go somewhere warmer.”‘ 

But when the family had their weekly dinner at his parents’ house on Sunday, police say he barged in at around 5.49pm.

About 11 minutes later, neighbors said they heard what they thought were firework, and at 6.02pm dispatchers received a call from what they described as a ‘female’ voice inside the house. 

When officers arrived on scene just 10 minutes later, they found the residence already ‘fully engulfed’ in flames, Billings police said. They also heard gunfire coming from inside the home.

Officers quickly spotted Alan outside in the back of the burning house and at around 6.13pm, a deputy ‘heard a final shot, which was broken away from the rest of the shots,’ Sheriff O’Donnell said.

When police officers and sheriff’s deputies entered the backyard at around 6.22pm, they found Alan with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and began CPR.

He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital as firefighters continued to battle the blaze at the home until around 1am on Monday. 

They had been hampered in their efforts as the house sits outside Billings city limits on county land where fire hydrants are not mandatory.

‘They had to haul in truckloads of water, set up a temporary tank and pump out of that tank,’ O’Donnell recounted.

‘So the fire suppression portion of this was very, very difficult.’

Meanwhile, Ghekiere, who works as an airport rescue firefighter, heard about the active shooting over the dispatch radio while at work.

‘I checked my kids’ locations, both Landon and Charlotte, and no one answered. I called Megan’s cellphone too,’ he recounted.

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Without getting any response, Ghekiere said he raced over to his in-laws house – and was able to see the flames from a mile away.

‘I feared the worst right then,’ Ghekiere said. 

Emergency crews then prevented him from getting too close to the house, saying it was still considered an active-shooter scene.

He finally learned two hours later that his wife and children were killed. 

His children were not even supposed to be at the Smith’s house that night, Ghekiere said, noting that the family normally had their get-togethers on Friday nights – but decided to postpone it to Sunday last week due to his work schedule and one of the children’s scheduled sleepovers.

‘I don’t think he expected my kids to be there,’ the grieving father said of his brother-in-law, whom he branded as a ‘monster.’

Brad Ireland, who is grieving the heartbreaking loss of his 13-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter, has also claimed that there were warning signs of Alan’s troubles.

‘There were many red flags and many people spoke out,’ Brad told the New York Post. ‘No one listened.’

Alan lived at home with his parents but spent his days holed up alone in his room on the computer, Brad said. 

‘No one knew what he did in there 24/7,’ he said, adding that Alan had been unable to hold down a job despite getting a degree from Eastern Washington University.

He had also been verbally abusive, Brad claimed, though he said to his knowledge Alan had never been violent, and records show Alan had no previous arrests and was never previously charged with any other crime.

Ireland had divorced Megan six years ago, after which she moved to Montana with their children.

There, she met Adam Ghekiere, and the couple tied the knot last year.

Megan’s parents soon decided to follow their daughter, buying the house in Billings near her home while her grandmother, Evelyn, lived in a nearby retirement community.

Family friend Mercer has since described the family as ‘very loving and close,’ saying the children all got along and that their parents remained amicable even after divorcing.

‘I feel like our entire community is devastated, even people that never knew any of them,’ she told CBS News.

As family members now struggle to accept the devastating losses, separate online fundraisers have been set up to support Ireland as well as the Ghekiere siblings’ mother and stepfather. 

A third GoFundMe was also created to support Adam, who it said ‘dedicated his career to helping others on their worst days.

‘Now, he needs our help on his,’ reads the fundraiser, which is raising money to support the grieving father with funeral and memorial expenses, time away from work and counseling.

‘No amount of money can lessen this loss. Not even close,’ friend Michael Solberg wrote. ‘Our hope is simply to give Adam the time and financial security to grieve without having to worry about returning to work or paying the bills.’

As of Thursday morning, the fundraiser had netted $110,845, while the fundraiser to help the Ghekiere siblings’ mother and stepfather stood at $77,813 and the Owen and Chloe Memorial Fund received over $35,000 in donations. 

Under the watchful eyes of the United States Capitol Police, an unusual discovery was made Tuesday, leading to the arrest of a man from California. The officers noticed a striking and archaic device—a guillotine—nestled in the back of a pickup truck, just a short distance from the U.S. Capitol.

The driver, identified as 35-year-old Philan-Tam-Duy Le from Julian, California, had apparently embarked on a cross-country journey before the startling sight caught the attention of Capitol Hill authorities, mere steps away from the Supreme Court premises.

Officials reported that the pickup was improperly parked, while the ominous apparatus stood visibly upright in the vehicle’s bed.

Le now faces charges tied to the possession of a dangerous weapon, reflecting concerns about his unexpected cargo—an old-world tool from a bygone era.

Investigators are now examining what motivated Le to travel from California and what prompted him to bring the massive guillotine with him.

“USCP investigators are going through the suspect’s background to learn more about why he came to Washington, D.C.,” officials said.

READ MORE: Rare American Mink Sighted on Long Island: A 31-Year Conservation Breakthrough

The guillotine discovery is the latest in a series of unusual weapons found in and around the Capitol complex, one of the most heavily secured areas in the country.

More than a week ago, officials found a homemade sword and brass knuckles at a Senate office building, Fox 5 DC reported. The items were reportedly discovered inside a man’s bag during a security screening.

Last year, a man was arrested after a machete and knives were discovered at a screening checkpoint in the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC), according to USCP. The 44-year-old man was arrested on multiple counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, officials said.

In 2021, a California man was arrested after officers discovered an unmarked truck displaying White supremacist symbols near the Democratic National Committee headquarters after midnight, according to USCP. A bayonet and machete were found inside the vehicle, officials said.

According to wildlife experts, an American mink was recently caught on a trail camera in Suffolk County, and such a sighting is exceptionally unusual.

Peter Janow, a naturalist residing on Long Island, reported capturing what he believes to be an American mink. The footage was taken with a trail camera he set up in Northport, near the North Shore, just after midnight on August 4, as he shared with News 12 Long Island.

The image depicts this charming water weasel seemingly carrying a bird in its mouth.

Janow mentioned that this marks the first instance of an American mink sighting on Long Island in over three decades.

The American mink, a member of the weasel family and a close relative to otters and ferrets, is a small carnivore that dwells both on land and in water. Typically weighing between 1.5 to 3.5 pounds, these creatures prey on fish, frogs, crayfish, and small mammals in regions rich with rivers, lakes, and wetlands, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

Janow — a retired Marine Corps pilot and founder of Long Island Nature Corps — has spent about eight years tracking wildlife with trail cameras across the Northport and Greater Huntington area, he told Greater Long Island.

He said his interest in finding the mink started about three winters ago, when he was out searching for river otter tracks after a fresh snowfall and came across prints he believed belonged to a mink.

“I thought it was just a matter of time before I captured a mink on one of my trail cameras,” he told Greater Long Island.

After reviewing a memory card from a trail camera that had not been checked in months, Janow spent two to three hours going through the files individually before making a stunning discovery — two photographs and an approximately 15-second video that appeared to depict a mink.

Janow immediately sent the findings to Seatuck Environmental Association wildlife biologist Mike Bottini for confirmation.

“He came back quickly and said, ‘Hey, yeah, that’s 100 percent an American mink,’” the naturalist recalled.

The animal was last reported on Long Island in 1996, though no photographic evidence exists from that sighting, Bottini told Greater Long Island.

Bottini said colleagues studying river otters elsewhere routinely catch mink on trail cameras at otter latrine sites — but when he ran a yearlong study at 10 such sites on Long Island in 2013, not a single mink showed up.

“The mink situation is a shock,” Bottini told Greater Long Island.

Bottini said much of the mink’s preferred habitat — wetlands and salt marshes — still exists and is protected on Long Island, though the reason for their apparent decline remains unknown.

He also flagged trapping as a possible complicating factor, noting that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation currently permits the trapping of mink, gray fox, striped skunk and long-tailed weasel on Long Island.

The semi-aquatic animal’s appearance came within the same month as the world’s largest manta ray was caught lurking in Long Island waters in another rare appearance.

The majestic manta ray — which inhabits tropical, subtropical and temperate regions — was spotted feeding in the waters of Jones Beach State Park in August.

The magnificent sea creature can live up to 40 years and grow to more than 4,000 pounds, according to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

Efforts to rescue missing tourists after catastrophic flooding in Nepal are yielding little hope as rescue teams face extreme challenges in accessing those who might still be alive.

The devastating aftermath saw thousands feared dead as a massive deluge of mud, stones, and icy water mowed through Rasuwa valley, demolishing concrete structures and obliterating entire villages, reminiscent of a blockbuster disaster film.

Haunting scenes have surfaced showing villagers in dire straits, trying to salvage survival necessities from swirling debris and rubble left in the flood’s wake.

Unpublishable graphic footage reveals bodies being recovered along the riverbanks, bearing the brutal force of the water’s destructive power.

According to the US Geological Survey, the deluge resulted from a ‘glacial collapse,’ where a massive 2,000-foot ice chunk detached, leading to ‘catastrophic impacts downstream.’

Rescuers said last night 157 bodies had been pulled from the water and rubble, but the death toll was expected to climb significantly. 

One emergency worker said it would take hours to reach stricken areas because of the 5ft-deep sediment blocking roads.

More than 300 of those missing were tourists, who had been visiting the area for the hiking and religious pilgrimages for which it is famed. 

Families of the 33 Britons, including a schoolgirl – who were in the area but are now uncontactable – have told the Daily Mail of their anguished wait for information. 

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to do ‘everything we can’ to support Britons caught up in the nightmare.

Also among the missing were 133 Indians, 53 Ukrainians, 47 Americans, 34 Australians, 24 Canadians and eight South Koreans.

A 13-year-old British girl and her parents are believed to have been among a tour party of 17 trekkers crossing the Nepal-China border at precisely the moment disaster struck.

One neighbour told the Daily Mail last night: ‘They’re a wonderful family. We’re devastated by this news and are praying that they’ll be OK.’

Britons aged 13 to 65 who were on the nine-day trek to Mount Kailash – a sacred site for Hindus and Buddhists.

Among the missing British nationals are three men aged 65, 64, and 52, and seven women aged 44, 47, 51, 60, 63, 63, and 65. 

Ram Kumar Adhikari, who runs Alpine Eco Trek, which organised the tour, said the group was last heard from at the Gyirong border crossing at 8.40am Nepal time.

Some 15 minutes later, a wave of mud and rubble swept down the valley and engulfed the crossing. 

Mr Adhikari said: ‘We had been receiving regular updates on the group’s progress. The group leader and guide were in constant contact and told us that the team had reached the Chinese immigration office at 7am.

‘Our group leader and guide remained online until 8.40am, so we assumed they had crossed immigration. There is no internet access on the Chinese side, so we had no reason to be immediately concerned.

‘Then we received news of the massive flood. You can see [in the video] people running in the footage, and some of them could be members of our group.

‘I feel so sad. We are just thinking about what to do next. We are in pain at the moment, deep pain.’

Four of his Nepalese tour guides, aged 45, 38, 35 and 29, are among the missing. A rescuer interviewed by China’s state broadcaster said they had been trying to make contact with the Gyirong border crossing but ‘so far there haven’t been any results’.

Mala Patel, 60, and Bipin Patel, 66, from Coventry, were on an organised pilgrimage in the area when the disaster struck.

Their son Anant Patel, 29, told the Daily Mail they were due to cross the border into Tibet to visit Mount Kailash, but have been uncontactable since the flood.

He said: ‘I haven’t been told anything, but I’ve obviously seen what’s happened on the news.

‘I wasn’t concerned about them in any way, but you don’t expect something like a natural disaster to happen.

‘I’ve tried ringing them and sent messages, but I’ve heard nothing back. They are uncontactable so I’m very worried. I’ve logged their details with the Foreign Office and I’m waiting to hear back.’

Mala and Bipin live in the leafy Stivichall area of Coventry. One neighbour, who did not want to be named, told the Daily Mail: ‘They are a lovely couple, I’ve known them for years.

‘Mala and Bipin work in the education and tutoring sector. They have an office in the house which they use daily. They are both Coventry City season ticket holders.

‘It’s a tight-knit community around here and everyone looks out for each other, so we’re all deeply concerned and just hoping for the best.’

Tour company Kailash Journeys confirmed it had not been able to account for seven UK nationals – five women and two men aged between 19 and 55 – travelling with the company. 

The flood was triggered near the border of Tibet, before a 30ft wall of freezing water mixed with rubble stormed down the path of the Trishulu river. Witnesses thought that they were seeing explosions caused by a military invasion.

Experts said the ‘snout’ of an entire glacier in the snow-capped Himalayas appears to have dislodged, sending iceberg-sized chunks cascading down to block the Lhende river, a tributary of the Trishuli.

Daniel Shugar, an earth scientist and professor at the University of Calgary, told the New York Times: ‘The bottom looks like a bomb exploded – it’s just deposits from the broken-up glacier.’

Simon Cook, a glaciologist at the University of Dundee, said: ‘This is a big chunk of ice that is stored at high elevation in the mountain.’

When it broke off, he explained, the force ‘pulverised’ the ice into water, creating a fast-flowing torrent.

Footage from the moment of impact  showed an astonishing level of destruction.

Terrifying CCTV video released by Chinese officials showed people running for their lives and lorries being knocked over and smashed to pieces.

Whole villages were washed away, stunned Nepalese officials said, but the full horror will not be known for days.

Terrified families scrambled up the region’s mountainous terrain to flee the onslaught of mud.

Roads, hydropower stations and bridges were all destroyed. In one harrowing video, filmed on a school bus, children screamed as their driver tried to get them away.

The Nepal army dispatched 14 helicopters and disaster response teams but the waters made it difficult for them to land close to the worst hit areas.

Local Kalpana Malla told the BBC: ‘My family members were swept away by the flood in front of my eyes. My father, my mother my sister and her kids were swept away. There was no chance at all.’

Suman Chalise, a 34-year-old teacher, said: ‘I witnessed the flood sweep away eight or nine trucks, along with houses and people. It was absolutely heart-wrenching. I had not witnessed such devastation before.’

In hard-hit Nuwakot district, upper floors of buildings, slathered in mud, were all that could be seen after the torrent surged by. Debris hung from tree branches and wires, vehicles were buried and stunned survivors were left caked in mud.

Shreedhar Neupane, a local journalist, said: ‘It was sheer panic. I saw thick, muddy slush flowing in a river where clean water once ran. I saw people swept away. I saw houses collapse and wash away. I saw strong bridges carried off by the water.’

Raju Bhadel, 56, said: ‘I got a call from my brother-in-law. They were crying and said their entire house had been swept away.’

Keshav Prasad Baral, 68, said: ‘My wife is still somewhere beneath the mud. She’s gone.’

‘There is devastation everywhere we look,’ said Tula Bahadur in Rasuwa. ‘Settlements next to the river have been completely swept away. Five of my relatives are missing.’

Nepal’s prime minister Balendra Shah vowed ‘all the means and resources’ of the nation would be used to help victims.   

In Tibet, on the Chinese side of the border, military commander Chen Xi said ‘various loaders and excavators are being used to clear a path’ but he warned: ‘The mountain slopes around us could collapse at any time because the road runs along steep cliffs and there may also be a risk of another mudslide.’

The Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said the ‘exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave’ meant that in just moments the level of the Trishuli River rose by an incredible 9m (27ft). 

Before-and-after satellite imagery shows lush green mountainsides buried under brown debris and sediment.

Last night there were fears of a second flood. Alerts were issued in the populous northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar which border Nepal.

Here, Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to do ‘everything we can’ to support British nationals. 

He said: ‘These scenes emerging are devastating. My thoughts are with all those affected, including the families and loved ones of British nationals missing in this tragedy.’

A disturbing incident unfolded in Florida as a driver, trying to evade a traffic stop, collided head-on with a school bus filled with 19 children. The driver then abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene on foot, as reported by authorities.

The chaotic events of the Tuesday morning crash were captured on video, with footage showing the vehicle smashing into the Sumter County school bus. Meanwhile, police body cameras recorded a deputy in hot pursuit of the suspect, leading to his eventual capture.

Fortunately, none of the 19 children on board the bus were harmed, as confirmed by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.

The troubling incident began at approximately 7:20 a.m. when a deputy stationed near The Villages Intermediate Center to enforce school-zone traffic regulations observed Qahiem Williams allegedly speeding at 17 mph over the limit on County Road 466 close to Tatonka Terrace.

According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy made a U-turn and activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, but Williams allegedly accelerated and sideswiped two vehicles at a traffic light.

Authorities said the collisions damaged the axle of Williams’ vehicle, causing him to collide head-on with a Sumter County school bus on County Road 103.

Video taken from inside the bus shows the collision, with the driver’s side door of Williams’ vehicle appearing to open moments before impact.

Williams then allegedly got out of the vehicle and fled on foot, according to the sheriff’s office.

Body camera video shows a deputy pursuing Williams before apprehending him near a Walmart.

Williams was taken into custody and faces multiple charges, including fleeing or eluding, driving with a suspended license, possession of marijuana, leaving the scene of a crash, resisting an officer, hit-and-run and a moving traffic violation, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office website.

Authorities said Williams also had two outstanding Sumter County warrants for fleeing or eluding and driving with a suspended license.

Sumter County Sheriff Patrick Breeden condemned the alleged actions, saying they put children’s lives in danger.

“I have zero tolerance when it comes to actions that put our children’s lives in danger,” Breeden said in a statement.

“This suspect has a history of this type of behavior and our community is safer with him off our streets,” he added.

Williams was medically cleared before being transported to the Sumter County Detention Center, where authorities said he was being held without bond.