Hundreds dead and missing due to floods on the Nepal-Tibet border
At least 95 people were killed in Nepal on Wednesday due to massive floods and landslides that swept through the border region with Tibet, while hundreds of people, mostly foreign tourists, remain missing. Footage verified by the Associated Press showed dozens of people fleeing as a massive block of debris and mud, several stories high, swept through a border area on the Chinese side of the frontier, sending trucks and buses flying.
Chinese state media reported three deaths and 265 missing persons following a mudslide at a border crossing in Tibet, citing “heavy casualties.”
For his part, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal pledged to mobilize all resources to respond to the disaster, saying, “The pain and loss you have suffered are not insignificant, but I assure you that you are not alone; the state stands by you with all its means and capabilities.”
Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle told the Associated Press, “So far, 95 deaths have been reported,” adding that about 28 police officers remain missing.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation stated that 403 tourists, including 341 foreigners of various nationalities, are still missing.
Nepalese Foreign Minister Shikshya Khanal suggested that an earthquake may have triggered a landslide that dammed a river before the water surged forcefully downstream. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) indicated that a rock-ice avalanche on the Nepal-China border likely caused the floods.
The Nepalese army announced it had rescued 114 people in Rasuwa, one of the hardest-hit areas.
On the other hand, Chinese authorities warned of the risk of new mudslides, while experts noted that a debris blockage still dams the river on the border, which could lead to further flooding.
Monsoon rains, which typically last from June to September, frequently cause deadly floods and landslides across South Asia. Scientists say that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the region.
