At least 17 people have been killed and nearly 400 others are unaccounted for after a flash flood and mudslide along the Nepal-Tibet border washed away villages and damaged roads and infrastructure. The flood hit early on Wednesday in Rasuwa, just north of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, with preliminary information suggesting it was caused by an earthquake triggering an avalanche with melted snow pouring into the Bhote Koshi river. Search operations are under way on both sides of the border between Tibet and Nepal and 12 people have been rescued so far.
State media in China, which controls Tibet, say there are significant casualties and Nepalese officials said they anticipate huge scale loss
. The Nepal tourism board said work was under way to establish the whereabouts of 291 tourists and 93 Nepalese nationals, including guides, who were known to be in the area where the flood hit. They include 12 travellers from the UK as well as Americans, Malaysians, South Africans and Indians. At least 105 Indians and 37 NRIs are among nearly 400 people reported missing after a massive flash flood swept through Nepal’s Rasuwa district near the Tibet border on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people and causing widespread damage to settlements and infrastructure.
Nepal Tourism Board Missing List
The sudden surge in the Bhote Koshi River struck the Rasuwagadhi-Timure area at around 9 am local time, affecting Rasuwa as well as parts of neighbouring Nuwakot and Dhading districts. The flooding washed away vehicles, goods, bridges and other infrastructure, while several hydropower projects were also damaged. According to a preliminary list compiled by the Nepal Tourism Board, 384 travellers, including 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali nationals, have been reported missing following the flash flood. Of the foreign nationals, 105 are Indian tourists and 37 are non-resident Indians (NRIs). The list also includes travellers from the US, Malaysia, the UK, South Africa, Australia and the Netherlands.
Hundreds were missing after torrential floods in the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and Tibet destroyed roads, bridges and power projects on Wednesday. At least nine people were killed in the flooding, Reuters reported, as authorities braced for more casualties and worse damage. The Nepal Tourism Board said 384 travellers, including 291 foreign nationals, were missing. Houses and roads were swept away in Nepal, while officials in China’s Tibet said they feared major casualties
with people missing in Gyirong county after a mudslide hit a land crossing between the neighbours.
Gyirong Border Crossing Mudslide
River levels were too high for rescue helicopters to land in Nepal’s affected areas of Syapru Besi and Timure in the mountainous district of Rasuwa, which has a population of about 50,000, officials said. Television channels broadcast images of crumbled homes in the flood waters, floating cars and a metal bridge being washed away, while witnesses told Reuters that entire villages had been engulfed. The disaster has also triggered an alert in Bihar, which shares a border with Nepal, as floodwaters continue to move downstream. The surge entered the river Bhote Koshi from the Tibetan side around 9 am, officials said.
A mudslide also struck Tibet near the Gyirong border crossing, causing casualties and leaving people missing, China’s state-run Xinhua reported. The cause of the flash floods remained unclear. Nepal’s Flood Forecasting Division said it was unlikely to have been caused by heavy rain in Rasuwa, while satellite imagery showed significant rainfall on the Tibetan side. Officials are investigating a possible glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), The Kathmandu Post reported. The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River at around 9 am (local time), reportedly coming from the direction of Tibet. While it is yet to be confirmed what caused the flood, a glacier that melted in Tibet is said to have caused the surge in the river. Officials are examining whether a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), or a landslide-related blockage could have caused the flash floods. The Koshi River, which originates in Tibet, joins the Trishuli River in Nepal. It enters India as the Gandak River.
The sudden rise in water caused widespread destruction in Timure in Rasuwa district and the nearby Syafrubesi area, with vehicles, goods, and bridges swept away. There are grave fears for an Australian tourist reportedly among the 384 tourists missing in massive flash floods that have swept through parts of Nepal on Wednesday, which have already left at least 17 people dead. That number is expected to rise in the wake of the flood disaster, triggered by an avalanche of ice and rock. Officials said 384 tourists, including 291 from countries including India, the United States, the United Kingdom and one person from Australia, were reported missing as a result of the flash flood.
Trishuli River Evacuation Warning
The BBC reports that according to the Nepal Tourism Board, the missing foreign nationals include 12 UK nationals, 105 Indians, 37 non-resident Indians, 17 Malaysians, four South Africans, three Americans, one Australian tourist and one Dutch person. The incident occurred in the Rasuwa district along Nepal’s northern border with China. The mountainous district is located about 120 km north of Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital. The flash flood swept away several villages along the Bhotekoshi river, and damaged roads and bridges. The Nepali Army and the police had launched a search and rescue operation. The authorities were urging people along the Trishuli river to evacuate from the riverbanks and move to safer ground. Some of the affected villages were in Nuwakot district, south of Rasuwa.
