At least nine people were killed after a massive flash flood swept through Himalayan border areas of Nepal and China’s Tibet on Wednesday, washing away villages, roads, bridges and power projects, while hundreds of tourists and other travellers remained missing.
The disaster unfolded near the Nepal China border after a wall of mud, rock and water appeared to collapse into a river. Verified videos showed people fleeing as floodwaters and debris swept through settlements and damaged buildings.
Nepal’s tourism authorities said at least 384 travellers were missing, including 105 Indians, 93 Nepalis, three U.S. citizens and 12 British nationals. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency separately reported that about eight South Korean nationals were also unaccounted for.
The exact cause of the disaster remained unclear. Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said an earthquake may have triggered an avalanche that caused the flooding. The German Research Centre for Geosciences recorded a magnitude 4.4 earthquake about seven minutes before the time shown on security footage of the disaster.
Experts said an ice and rock avalanche may have blocked the Lhende Khola River, although the precise trigger had not been confirmed. Qianggong Zhang of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development warned that debris still blocking the river could cause a second flood.
Rescue operations were hampered by the mountainous terrain. Helicopters were unable to land in the worst affected areas of Syapru Besi and Timure in Nepal’s Rasuwa district. Officials urged residents living along the Bhote Koshi River to move to higher ground.
“There is devastation everywhere we look,” Tula Bahadur BK, a health worker in Rasuwa, told Reuters, saying settlements along the river had been swept away and that five of his relatives were missing.
China reports damage at Gyirong port
The mudslide also affected Gyirong port on the Chinese side of the border, disrupting roads, communications and electricity supplies in the Shigatse region.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said at least 574 rescuers had been deployed to the border crossing. A rescuer said teams faced pathways blocked by sediment up to 1.5 metres deep, making access difficult.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an all-out search for missing people and called for stronger monitoring and early-warning systems to reduce the risk of further disasters.
Nepal’s Energy Ministry said about 430 megawatts of electricity capacity had been affected, mainly involving hydroelectric projects. That represents more than 12% of Nepal’s total hydropower capacity of about 3.2 gigawatts.
Nepalese police and military personnel joined rescue efforts, while Prime Minister Balendra Shah ordered authorities to move people from low-lying areas to safer locations.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said New Delhi was ready to provide humanitarian assistance and that Indian and Nepalese authorities were coordinating rescue and relief operations.
The Bhote Koshi River originates in Tibet before flowing into Nepal’s Trishuli River, which eventually enters India as the Gandak River. The region has experienced repeated flooding and landslides, raising concerns about the vulnerability of communities and infrastructure along Himalayan rivers.
A similar Bhote Koshi flood last year killed nine people and left 24 missing after destroying a bridge linking Nepal and China and disrupting trade and transport for months.
Leave a comment