Massive flash floods in Nepal and China have resulted in at least 98 fatalities and left hundreds missing, prompting urgent rescue efforts and international assistance.
UDIN DHUNGA, Nepal (AP) — A devastating series of flash floods struck a border region between Nepal and China on Wednesday, claiming the lives of at least 98 individuals and leaving hundreds of tourists, workers, and locals unaccounted for. The floods swept through communities, disrupting travel and causing widespread destruction.
The prime minister’s office in Nepal confirmed that at least 95 people had died, while China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported that a mudslide in Gyirong County, located in Tibet near the border, resulted in three fatalities and left 265 individuals missing. Drone footage captured the extent of the devastation, showing roads obliterated and buildings buried under debris. China’s state news agency Xinhua also reported significant casualties in the region.
Nepal’s steep valleys serve as crucial economic lifelines and travel routes, but they are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. Images from the affected areas depicted the second floors of buildings in the Nuwakot district covered in mud, with debris hanging from tree branches and wires. Vehicles were buried, and survivors were seen covered in mud, visibly shaken by the disaster.
Many of those missing were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a sacred site for Hindus. Nepalese officials reported that 403 individuals, including 341 foreign nationals, were unaccounted for. Among the missing were 133 pilgrims from India, as well as 47 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain, and 24 from Canada, according to Sunil Sharma, a spokesperson for Nepal’s tourism board.
Additionally, at least 62 missing Nepali citizens were trekking in the Gosaikunda Lake area in Rasuwa, coinciding with the local festival of Janai Purnima. Nepal police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle informed the Associated Press that at least 28 police officials were also among the missing.
Officials have warned residents in several districts to avoid the banks of the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli, and Narayani rivers, which experienced severe flooding. The Bhotekoshi River overflowed around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, leading to the destruction of several villages, roads, and hydropower projects.
“We have asked both India and China to assist us with the rescue efforts,” said government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel.
On the same day, the U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 4.4 earthquake approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Kathmandu, near the border with Tibet.
Despite the current monsoon season being less favorable for trekking in Nepal, it is a peak season for Kailash trekking in Tibet, which follows routes in Nepal’s Rasuwa district bordering Tibet’s Gyirong.
Countries around the world have expressed concern over the missing individuals. South Korean officials reported that nine citizens working on a hydropower plant in Nepal were among those unaccounted for. Malaysia’s foreign ministry stated that its embassy had lost contact with 11 Malaysians believed to be in the Rasuwa district. Additionally, Russia’s embassy in Nepal reported that four of its citizens were missing in the affected area.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah, offering assistance. “India is prepared to provide Nepal with all possible types of humanitarian assistance. Our teams are closely coordinating on rescue and relief efforts,” Modi stated on social media.
A joint statement from Australia, Britain, the European Union, Finland, France, Norway, and Switzerland expressed solidarity with the people of Nepal, urging those in affected areas to heed local authorities’ guidance and safety advisories as the situation develops.
Climate experts from the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development indicated that an avalanche from a glacier likely triggered the flash floods. “Hydrological observations indicate the exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave,” they noted, highlighting that water levels on the Trishuli River rose by as much as nine meters (27 feet) in just half an hour.
The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, experienced maximum flooding. “The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in 14 months, this time triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream,” explained Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the climate research group. He emphasized the importance of early warnings in a warming Himalaya.
This region has faced similar flash floods in the past; in August of the previous year, a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed due to high temperatures, resulting in nine fatalities and damage to critical infrastructure, including a bridge connecting Nepal and China.
The Himalayan region, which spans several countries including India, is particularly susceptible to heavy rains, floods, and landslides exacerbated by climate change. Research indicates that extreme weather events, including heat waves, heavy rainfall, and melting glaciers, have become increasingly frequent.
Earlier this year, researchers in Kathmandu found that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are melting at an accelerating rate, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000, primarily due to rising global temperatures and climate change.
As rescue efforts continue, the situation remains fluid, with many awaiting news of their loved ones in the wake of this tragic disaster, according to The Associated Press.