Hundreds Dead and Missing in Devastating Himalayan Floods
Around 1,500 people, including more than 800 foreign tourists, have been lost in Nepal and China’s Tibet Autonomous Region following the collapse of a mud and rock wall in a river in the Himalayas, which triggered devastating flash floods that swept through towns and valleys.
Nepalese rescue teams have deployed helicopters to search for survivors and drop emergency supplies to thousands of people stranded after the disaster, which struck on Wednesday. The floods swept along a busy route for hikers and pilgrims connecting Kathmandu with Lhasa in Tibet, killing at least 359 people according to preliminary figures, plus three in the Chinese sector.
Verified video footage showed massive amounts of water and debris sweeping dozens of people away at the Gyirong border crossing, while also carrying away homes, roads, and hydropower projects downstream toward Nepal.
Initial reports suggest that an earthquake in the area may have triggered the collapse of the lower part of a glacial lake, causing the flash flood. The US Geological Survey stated that the floods resulted from a landslide powerful enough to generate a magnitude 5.2 earthquake, along with soil slides.
China’s state television reported that authorities have identified risks from a lake whose waters remain blocked near the Gyirong crossing (at an altitude of 1,800 meters), located above the area of the mudslide and flooding at the Tibet-Nepal border crossing. This situation could complicate rescue efforts, especially with rain expected.
Nepal, located in the heart of the Himalayas, is highly popular among hikers and mountaineers from around the world, particularly those aiming to climb Mount Everest.
In a video captured by surveillance cameras and verified by AFP, a large multi-story building and people attempting to flee are suddenly engulfed by raging floods. Another verified clip shows a tsunami-like wave rushing toward a parking lot overlooking a river, sweeping away buses and buildings with destructive force.
David Fisher, representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Nepal, said, “Villages and commercial areas have been wiped off the map.”
China’s official Xinhua News Agency quoted President Xi Jinping as saying, “The most urgent task is to make every possible effort to search for and rescue the missing, evacuate and resettle people at risk, treat the injured promptly, and minimize the number of casualties as much as possible.”
Scientists say climate change is creating conditions that can destabilize rocks and ice in high mountain areas, increasing the likelihood of such disasters.
Simon Cox, chief scientist at New Zealand’s Earth Sciences program “Mountains to Sea,” said that rising temperatures can reduce ice support on steep slopes, increase meltwater, and alter freeze-thaw and rainfall patterns, potentially weakening mountain sides and increasing the likelihood of large landslides in some areas.
As rescue teams in Nepal struggle to reach hundreds of missing persons and recover victims of the devastating floods, shocking scenes have emerged documenting how some individuals have exploited the chaos left by the disaster to steal property swept away by the waters or taken from homes and areas inundated by the floods.
Videos posted on social media platforms show people wading through floodwaters and debris, searching for belongings they can seize.
A video showed an individual pulling a gold earring from the ear of a corpse floating in floodwaters, a scene that sparked widespread outrage over the exploitation of a disaster victim’s body for financial gain.
