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- October 13, 202618°
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- October 13, 202618°
Massive floods devastate Nepal-Tibet border settlements, leaving 95 dead and hundreds missing
A flash flood in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, along the Tibet border, struck settlements, roads, bridges and energy facilities. At least 95 people have died and hundreds remain missing, including many foreign tourists.
A major flood in northern Nepal, along the border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, has caused extensive destruction across a wide area. A sudden surge of water and debris in the Bhote Koshi and connected river systems on Wednesday hit settlements in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and surrounding areas.
Reuters reported that the bodies of at least 95 people had been recovered in Nepal. Hundreds of people remain missing. Initial figures released by Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism indicated that the missing included more than 100 Indian nationals, as well as hundreds of foreign visitors, including citizens of the United States and the United Kingdom.
Images showing the scale of the disaster show mud, rocks and a mass of water advancing rapidly toward residential areas, sweeping away buildings, vehicles and infrastructure within seconds. Riverside settlements, particularly around Syapru Besi and Timure, suffered heavy damage.
The flood struck roads, bridges, energy facilities and hydroelectric projects in addition to homes. Transport links were completely severed in some areas, while search-and-rescue teams faced difficulties reaching the disaster zone.
The exact cause of the disaster has not yet been officially established. Initial satellite analyses suggest that a temporary blockage may have formed after large amounts of snow, rock and debris fell into the Lhende River, about 20 kilometers northeast of the Nepal-China border crossing, followed by a massive surge of water. A magnitude 4.4 earthquake recorded in the area shortly before the incident is also among the possibilities being investigated.
Nepali officials warned that a blockage capable of creating further risks may still exist upstream. Residents of riverside settlements were urged to move to higher ground amid the possibility of a second flash flood.
Adverse weather, rising water levels and damaged roads are hampering search-and-rescue efforts. Nepal’s security forces and disaster-response teams are conducting rescue operations, while hundreds of personnel and numerous vehicles are also involved on the Chinese side.
Officials said the death toll and number of missing people could change as new information emerges from the region. The full extent of the disaster is expected to become clear as search-and-rescue operations progress.
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