Deadly Flash Flood Strikes Nepal-Tibet Border, Killing at Least 17

A massive flash flood and mudslide along the Nepal-Tibet border has killed at least 17 people, sweeping away villages and destroying roads and critical infrastructure in the Rasuwa district, north of Kathmandu, police confirmed Wednesday.

The disaster struck early Wednesday, reportedly triggered by accelerated snowmelt feeding the Bhote Koshi River, which flows from Tibet into Nepal. Search and rescue operations are underway on both sides of the border, with 12 people rescued so far. Nepalese officials warn the death toll could rise significantly, describing the anticipated losses as being on a “huge scale.”

Nepal Police spokesman Abhi Narayan Kaphle stated that all security agencies have been mobilized for rescue efforts. Footage from the scene shows floodwaters tearing through settlements, while several downstream areas remain on high alert. The main highway linking the region to Kathmandu has been severed, and communications, power, and road access across the district are severely disrupted.

Yee Liang, a Chinese businessman based in Kathmandu, told the BBC his logistics company lost contact with seven container trucks and their Nepalese crews in the affected zone. “As far as I know, there was no warning,” Liang said. “There were occasional mudslides and landslides, especially in the rainy season, but this one seems much more serious.”

The extent of casualties on the Tibetan side remains unclear. Chinese state media reported significant casualties, and the BBC spoke with Guan Daoxuan in Sichuan province, who lost contact with his wife — an employee of a state-run construction firm building roads and bridges in Tibet — late Wednesday morning. Guan said Nepalese authorities attempted to deploy a helicopter for aerial assessment after roads were washed out, but high winds prevented the aircraft from reaching the site.

Nepal’s disaster management authority has urged residents near vulnerable riverbanks to remain vigilant. Prime Minister Balendra Shah convened an emergency meeting and posted on social media that coordination efforts involving medical teams, scouts, and the Red Cross have begun.

Authorities confirmed that 13 armed police officers are missing from two posts in Rasuwa, and contact has been lost with dozens of other personnel. The district suffered a similar catastrophe last year when a glacial lake outburst on the Chinese side killed 18 people. Officials told the BBC they believe the scale of Wednesday’s disaster surpasses that of the 2024 floods.

Source link