A devastating flash flood and landslide disaster has struck the Nepal-Tibet border, killing at least 98 people and leaving hundreds missing as rescue teams search through mud, rock and debris for survivors.
Nepalese authorities have reported at least 95 deaths, while Chinese authorities confirmed three people were killed in Tibet’s Gyirong County. The number of missing people remains fluid. Nepal’s Tourism Board initially reported 384 travellers unaccounted for, including 291 foreign nationals, while later reports put the number of missing people on the Nepalese side at more than 480. China has separately reported 265 people missing in Gyirong.
The disaster struck on Wednesday morning in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, close to the Tibetan border. A huge mass of ice and rock collapsed into the Lhende Khola river, creating a sudden surge of water, mud and debris that swept downstream with enormous force.
Reuters reported that satellite imagery indicated the landslide was glacier-based and that a magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurred nearby shortly before the disaster. The earthquake is considered a likely trigger, although authorities continue to assess exactly how the collapse developed.
The resulting flood destroyed homes, roads, bridges and power infrastructure across the Himalayan region. In Tibet, a mudslide struck the Gyirong Port border crossing, cutting roads, communications and electricity and leaving communities isolated.
The disaster has also affected large numbers of travellers. Many of those missing were tourists, pilgrims and people travelling through the region towards popular Himalayan destinations. Foreign nationals from India, the United States, Britain, Malaysia, Australia, South Korea and other countries have been reported among those unaccounted for.
Rescue operations are being hampered by damaged roads, heavy sediment and dangerous river conditions. Helicopters have struggled to reach some areas, while emergency teams on both sides of the border are using aircraft and drones to assess the destruction and locate survivors.
Claims that “thousands” are missing have circulated widely online, but authorities have not confirmed a missing-person total in the thousands. What is confirmed is a rapidly developing disaster involving at least 98 deaths and several hundred people still unaccounted for. With rescue operations continuing and communications disrupted in parts of the region, officials warn that both the death toll and missing figure could rise further.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, Al Jazeera and the Nepal Tourism Board, with figures continuing to change as rescue teams reach affected areas.