[UPDATED] At Least 160 Dead, 403 Missing In Nepal-Tibet Flood, Landslides

 

At least 160 people have been killed, and 403 others are missing after massive floods and landslides struck Nepal’s northern border with Tibet on Wednesday, leaving entire settlements devastated.

Nepali police said they had recovered 157 bodies following what they described as “devastating floods”, while Chinese state media reported three deaths and 265 people missing on the Chinese side of the border.

The disaster has also left hundreds of tourists unaccounted for, including 341 foreign nationals.

Nepal’s tourism ministry said 403 tourists were reported missing several hours after the disaster struck.

The missing foreigners include 142 Indians, as well as nationals of Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea and the United States.

Entire Villages Wiped Out

 

The floods and landslides swept through communities in Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district, near the border with China, burying buildings under mud and debris and cutting off roads.

Aid workers described the destruction as extensive, with David Fisher, Nepal head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), saying entire villages and market areas had been “wiped out”.

The IFRC said it was dispatching emergency supplies, including blankets, first aid kits, stretchers and body bags, to support relief efforts.

Surveillance footage verified by AFP showed dozens of people running for safety as a massive wall of debris crashed into the Chinese side of the border, sweeping away lorries and buses.

Nepali police images also showed floodwaters surging through rivers and carrying away buildings, while other photographs showed the upper floor of a building protruding from thick layers of mud.

Rescuers have been wading through mud and sludge in search of survivors as floodwaters buried the lower floors of multi-storey buildings.

Search And Rescue Operations Underway

 

The Nepal Army has deployed helicopters to the affected areas and rescued scores of people, while residents living close to rivers in high-risk areas have been ordered to move to safer locations.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah pledged an extensive government response to the disaster.

“The pain and loss you have suffered is not small,” Shah said in a statement shared on social media.

“But I want to assure you that you are not alone in this difficult time — the state is with you with all its means and resources.”

Local residents have described harrowing scenes following the disaster.

Raju Bhadel, 56, said his brother-in-law called him in tears after their family home was swept away.

“Three family members were rescued, but his brother is still missing,” he said.

 

Disaster Cause Under Investigation

 

The exact cause of the flooding remains unclear, although authorities believe a landslide may have blocked a river and triggered the devastating surge downstream.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said an earthquake may have triggered a landslide, which subsequently blocked a river and caused water to rush downstream.

The country’s disaster management authority said satellite data indicated that a “snow-rock landslide” on the Nepal-China border may have caused the flood.

Sarthak Shrestha, a remote sensing and geo-information analyst at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), said a preliminary assessment suggested that a rock-and-ice avalanche occurred on the Nepali side, blocking the Lhende River.

“We believe a rock-ice avalanche occurred in Nepal, blocking the Lhende river and causing the cascading flood event,” he told AFP.

China Orders Emergency Response

 

The disaster also caused major damage at the Gyirong Port, a border trading hub in Tibet.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that a mudslide on the Nepali side of the border had resulted in “major casualties and missing people” at the port.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out rescue operation, saying the priority was to search for missing people, treat the injured and minimise casualties.

Traffic authorities in Tibet’s Shigatse warned that roads in the region were at risk of further mudslides and were unsafe for passage.

Authorities are also concerned that a blockage in the river could trigger another major flood.

Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at ICIMOD, warned that a second flood could occur if the blockage upstream remains.

Power Infrastructure Damaged

 

The disaster has also disrupted Nepal’s power supply, with the Nepal Electricity Authority reporting damage to about 430 megawatts of generation capacity, including hydropower and solar facilities.

The authority said damage to production, transmission and distribution infrastructure had resulted in disruption to electricity supplies.

Monsoon rains between June and September regularly trigger deadly floods and landslides across South Asia, while scientists have warned that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

Rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors and missing people as authorities assess the full extent of the destruction on both sides of the Nepal-China border.

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