Flash Floods Kill 97, Leave Hundreds Missing on Nepal-China Border

Kathmandu, MINA – The death toll from devastating flash floods and landslides along the Nepal-China border has risen to at least 97, with hundreds of people still missing as massive search and rescue operations continue on both sides of the border, Anadolu Agency reports.

Nepalese authorities said rescuers recovered 97 bodies and rescued 54 people from flood-affected areas. At least 384 tourists and travelers were reported missing, while police and soldiers were also among those unaccounted for after floodwaters swept away security barracks in Rasuwa district.

Nepalese Foreign Minister Sishir Khanal told parliament that 29 police officers and 44 soldiers remained missing following the disaster. Government estimates showed that at least 19 bridges were destroyed, around 40 kilometers of roads were damaged and 13 hydropower projects were affected. Around 200 trucks were also swept away.

The disaster struck near the Rasuwagadhi border crossing, a major route between Nepal and China’s Tibet region. Flash floods and mudslides caused widespread destruction along the Lhende and Bhotekoshi rivers.

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck Kodari village in Nepal at 8:37 a.m. local time Wednesday, according to the US Geological Survey. Nepalese authorities said the earthquake triggered an avalanche that may have contributed to the collapse of glacial lakes in the Tibet region, causing a sudden surge of water and debris.

An analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery provided an additional possible explanation, indicating that a snow-and-rock landslide near the Nepal-China border may have triggered a debris-laden flood in the Lhende River. Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said authorities were continuing to assess the disaster and its full impact.

On the Chinese side, authorities confirmed at least three deaths and said 265 people remained missing after landslides struck near Gyirong Port in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, which Beijing refers to as Tibet.

China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that the mudslide cut off roads leading to Gyirong Port and disrupted communications and power supplies.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered authorities to make every effort to search for and rescue those affected, evacuate residents at risk and provide medical treatment to the injured.

The nationalities of those missing in Nepal included people from Nepal, India, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and the Netherlands. Eight South Korean nationals were also reported unaccounted for, while 10 others were stranded.

Nepal deployed helicopters, drones and rafting equipment as police, armed police and army personnel joined the rescue effort. Hospitals and medical facilities in Kathmandu were placed on standby to receive injured victims.

The affected region is a major route for tourists traveling to the Langtang trekking area in Nepal, while other travelers use Rasuwagadhi to reach China’s Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the loss of life and said India was ready to provide humanitarian assistance to Nepal. Indian authorities also increased monitoring and preparedness in areas that could be affected by flooding.

The disaster has caused extensive damage to infrastructure on both sides of the border, while rescue teams continue searching for missing people and assessing the scale of destruction.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)