A massive flood struck the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday, killing at least 95 people. Hundreds of tourists and workers remain missing.
A huge wall of mud and rock crashed into a river high in the Himalayas. The collapse triggered violent flooding on the Nepali side. Verified videos showed people swept away in seconds.
Houses, roads, and power projects vanished in the water. Officials on both sides fear the final death toll will climb much higher.
What triggered the flood
Experts suspect an earthquake started the disaster. The quake likely caused an ice-rock avalanche in the mountains.
Nepal’s foreign minister, Shisir Khanal, told parliament that a quake may have set off the avalanche. The German Research Centre for Geosciences recorded a 4.4 magnitude quake. It struck about seven minutes before the flood appeared on security footage.
Satellite images point to a landslide of snow and rock. The debris rushed into the Lhende Khola river. That spot sits about 20 km northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border crossing.
Rescue efforts underway
Rescue teams have recovered 95 bodies so far, police said. About 65 injured people are being treated in local hospitals and in Kathmandu.
Helicopters could not land in the worst-hit areas. Syapru Besi and Timure remain hard to reach. The river still flows above its normal path.
“There is devastation everywhere we look,” said Tula Bahadur BK, a health worker in Rasuwa. “The settlements next to the river have been completely swept away. Five of my own relatives are missing.”
Hundreds of people missing
At least 341 foreign travelers are unaccounted for, Nepal’s tourism ministry said. The missing include more than 100 Indians, 12 British nationals, and three U.S. citizens.
Dozens of local residents are also missing. South Korea said eight of its nationals disappeared while working on a hydropower plant.
Fears of a second flood
Experts warn the danger is not over. A blockage still sits upstream on the border river.
“Authorities warn a second flood may occur,” said Qianggong Zhang of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. He said the exact cause of the avalanche is still unconfirmed.
Impact in Tibet and India
The mudslide also hit Tibet’s Gyirong port. It cut roads, power, and communication links in the Shigatse region. Chinese officials fear “major casualties.”
China deployed 601 personnel and 113 vehicles for rescue work. President Xi Jinping urged an “all-out” search for the missing.
Flood alerts reached northern India too. Authorities in Bihar evacuated about 5,000 people from six districts.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences to Nepal. He said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of life. “Pakistan stands in solidarity with the government and people of Nepal during this difficult time,” he wrote on X. Rescue teams continue their search across the Nepal-Tibet border. Officials say the numbers may rise as more areas become reachable.
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