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Border Floods, Missing Tourists
A flash flood swept through remote valleys in Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday, killing at least eight people in Nepal and triggering mudslides near the Gyirong Port on the China side of the border, while Nepal Tourism Board said 384 tourists and travelers were reported missing.
“384 tourists and travelers were reported missing Wednesday”
The Anadolu Ajansı report said the incident occurred around 8.30 am local time (0245GMT) and that authorities were “working to verify the whereabouts and safety status of the tourists and travelers who were in or traveling through the affected areas,” as massive search and rescue operations were launched on both sides of the border.
Reuters reported that Nepali authorities said the flood swept away villages and damaged roads, bridges, and hydroelectric projects in a neighboring region to Tibet, and that police said it had claimed at least eight lives.
Reuters also said officials urged residents on both sides of the Bhote Koshi River to move to higher ground, while the cause of the flood was not yet clear in its account.
The DW report added that the floodwaters washed away villages, damaged bridges and destroyed electrical infrastructure on both sides of the Nepal-China border, and that Chinese state media reported “major casualties” from a mudslide at a Tibet trade hub.
Officials, Witnesses, and Explanations
Nepal police spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle told AFP, “So far, eight bodies have been found. Rescue operations are underway,” as the Nepal Army said it deployed helicopters and disaster response personnel to the affected area.
In Nuwakot district, Suman Chalise, a 34-year-old teacher, described what he saw, saying, “I witnessed the flood sweep away eight or nine trucks, along with houses and people,” and added, “It was absolutely heart-wrenching.”
Dawn reported that the Nepal Electricity Authority said about 430 megawatts of production capacity, including from hydropower and solar facilities, had been damaged, and that the disaster “resulting in disruption of electricity supply,” it said.
Dawn also carried an explanation from ICIMOD analyst Sarthak Shrestha, who told AFP that a rock-ice avalanche occurred in Nepal, blocking the Lhende River and causing the cascading flood event.
On the China side, Xinhua reported that President Xi Jinping urged “all-out” efforts to search for the missing and called for strengthening monitoring and early warning systems to prevent secondary disasters.
What’s at Risk Next
As rescue operations continued, the El Periódico report said Nepalese authorities announced the deployment of emergency rescue teams after massive floods left at least 16 people dead, while also citing 390 tourists missing, including 291 foreigners, according to the regional tourism office.
“390 tourists missing, including 291 foreigners”
El Periódico said the Foreign Minister attributed the sudden flooding to an earthquake that caused a landslide and blocked the Bhote Koshi River, and that “Work has already begun to take the necessary measures in coordination with medical teams, search teams, and the Red Cross,” as Prime Minister Balendra Shah announced via social media.
DW reported that Nepal dispatched more than a dozen rescue helicopters to the mountainous Rasuwa region, but floodwaters were too high for the helicopters to land, while Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an “all out” rescue effort and said “the most urgent task is doing everything possible to search for and rescue the missing people.”
Reuters added that last year’s Bhote Koshi floods killed nine people and left 24 missing, and that the Friendship Bridge linking Nepal and China was swept away then, disrupting trade and transport for several months.
Dawn also warned that a second flood may be imminent, quoting Qianggong Zhang of ICIMOD saying, “With a blockage still lodged upstream on the Nepal-China border river, authorities warn a second flood may occur,” as Chinese state media reported “major casualties” and missing people at Gyirong Port.