Hundreds of people remain unaccounted for and officials fear the death toll could rise sharply after devastating flash floods tore through Nepal, with chilling video showing a towering rush of water roaring down from the mountains and swallowing a border-crossing facility as panicked crowds fled.
Authorities believe the disaster began when a massive mixture of mud, rock and debris crashed into a river along the Himalayan frontier between Nepal and China-controlled Tibet, unleashing deadly flooding on the Nepali side. At least 95 people have been confirmed dead, while more than 400 tourists are missing.
The full scale of the catastrophe is still emerging, but Nepal’s foreign minister, Shisir Khanal, told parliament Wednesday that early assessments point to flooding possibly linked to an avalanche set off by an earthquake.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences detected a magnitude 4.4 earthquake roughly seven minutes before security cameras captured the destructive surge at the border area.
The violent floodwaters, packed with debris, ripped through communities in Nepal, destroying homes, roads and businesses. Across the border, Tibetan officials warned of the possibility of “major casualties,” according to local media reports.
Emergency flood warnings have also been issued for heavily populated areas farther downstream from the Himalayas, including India’s northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Nepal’s tourism authority said at least 384 foreign visitors were missing in the affected region, among them three Americans, 105 Indian nationals, 93 Nepalis and 12 travelers from the United Kingdom.
The US Embassy said it was “deeply saddened” by the mounting loss of life and advised American citizens in impacted areas to stay away from low-lying locations, move to higher ground and follow guidance from local authorities.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster,” the embassy posted on X.
With Post wires
