A sudden massive flash flood hit the Nepal-China border along the BHOTE Koshi River, leaving nearly 400 people missing and claiming at least 17 lives.
Tragedy at the border
The sudden wall of water rushed downstream into Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district. The flood destroyed villages, washed away cars, collapsed houses and destroyed key bridges connecting Nepal to Tibet.
Local official Narendra Pariyar stated that “there could be heavy casualties or loss of property” as entire project sites and markets were wiped out.
Hundreds of tourists missing
Around 384 travelers including nearly 300 foreign tourists and pilgrims traveling toward Tibet remain out of contact. Bashu Kumar Adhikari, a travel agency director, revealed that “except for a few, we have not been able to establish contact with the pilgrims as of 3pm.”
Missing travelers include citizens from India, the US, the UK, Malaysia and local Nepali workers.
Unknown cause of the flood
The disaster struck without local rain warning, leaving scientists working to figure out what happened. Officials are looking into whether an earthquake, a major landslide or a burst glacial lake in Tibet triggered the surge.
Dinkar Kayastha of Nepal’s hydrology department noted that “we are still studying the matter, so the real cause is not yet known.”
Massive rescue operations
The Nepal Army, police forces, sniffer dogs and helicopters are searching the riverbanks for survivors.
Nepali Police spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle said “we have alerted people who are staying near the riverside to relocate and deployed all our resources” to help save lives.
