At least 160 people have died while over 800 others are missing after devastating floods and landslides struck Nepal’s northern border with Tibet on Wednesday, destroying settlements and cutting off roads.
Nepali police said 157 bodies had been recovered 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. Nepal’s Tourism Ministry said 403 tourists were reported missing several hours after the disaster, including 341 foreign nationals.
Among the missing foreigners are 142 Indians, as well as nationals of Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea and the United States.
Villages swept away
The floods and landslides struck communities in Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district, near the Chinese border, burying buildings in mud and debris and damaging roads and other infrastructure.
David Fisher, Nepal head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), described the destruction as extensive, saying entire villages and market areas had been wiped out.
The IFRC said it was sending emergency supplies, including blankets, first aid kits, stretchers and body bags, to support relief operations.
Surveillance footage reportedly verified by AFP showed people running for safety as a massive wall of debris struck the Chinese side of the border, sweeping away lorries and buses.
Images released by Nepali police showed floodwaters carrying away buildings, while photographs from the affected areas showed only the upper floors of some buildings visible above thick layers of mud.
Rescue workers have been searching through mud and sludge for survivors as floodwaters buried the lower floors of multi-storey buildings.
Rescue operations underway
The Nepal Army has deployed helicopters to the affected areas and rescued scores of people, while residents living near rivers in high-risk areas have been ordered to move to safer locations.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah promised a full government response to the disaster.
“The pain and loss you have suffered is not small,” Shah said.
“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.”
Residents have also described harrowing scenes.
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 under investigation
The exact cause of the flooding remains unclear, although authorities suspect that a landslide blocked a river and triggered the massive surge downstream.
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said an earthquake may have triggered a landslide, which subsequently blocked a river and sent water rushing downstream.
The country’s disaster management authority said satellite data suggested that a “snow-rock landslide” on the Nepal-China border may have caused the flooding.
Sarthak Shrestha, a remote sensing and geo-information analyst at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), said a preliminary assessment indicated that a rock-and-ice avalanche occurred on the Nepali side and blocked the Lhende River.
“We believe a rock-ice avalanche occurred in Nepal, blocking the Lhende river and causing the cascading flood event,” he said.
China launches emergency response
The disaster also caused significant damage at Gyirong Port, a major border trading hub in Tibet.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that a mudslide from the Nepali side had caused “major casualties and missing people” at the port.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an emergency rescue operation, directing authorities to prioritise the search for missing people, treatment of the injured and efforts to reduce casualties.
Traffic authorities in Tibet’s Shigatse also warned that roads in the region could face further mudslides and were unsafe for travel.
Authorities are meanwhile concerned that a blockage in the river could trigger another major flood.
Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at ICIMOD, warned that another flood could occur if the upstream blockage remains.
Power supply disrupted
The disaster has also affected Nepal’s electricity 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 generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure had disrupted electricity supplies.
Monsoon rains between June and September regularly cause deadly floods and landslides across South Asia. Scientists have also 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 scale of the destruction on both sides of the Nepal-China border.
