Flash Flood Disaster on Nepal-Tibet Border: At Least 157 Dead, Hundreds Missing
As river overflows in the Himalayan region destroy numerous settlements, search and rescue operations continue along the border and flood warnings are issued in neighboring countries.
At least 157 people have lost their lives and hundreds, including numerous foreign tourists, are missing in a flash flood that occurred in the Himalayan region along the Nepal-Tibet border.
Infrastructure Destroyed and Hundreds Missing
Massive destruction occurred after a buildup of mud, water, and debris in a river flowing between China and Nepal overflowed its banks. While houses, roads, bridges, and power plants were swept away in Nepal, authorities issued warnings for people living around the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli, and Narayani rivers.
Nepalese authorities announced that a total of 403 people have been reported missing, including 341 foreigners holding citizenship from India, the US, the UK, Australia, South Korea, and Malaysia. The Nepal Tourism Board stated that more than 100 of the missing are religious tourists from India and the Indian diaspora who were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet.
Casualties in Tibet and Earthquake Claims
On the Tibetan side, Chinese state broadcaster announced that at least 3 people lost their lives and 265 people went missing. Officials in the region expressed concern over serious loss of life.
Experts evaluate that a 4.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred in a region of Nepal close to the Tibet border may have caused a large mass of ice to break off from a glacier, which in turn led to a sudden rise in water levels in the Lhende Khola River. At this point, flood warnings have also been issued in the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.