At least 95 people have died and 384 tourists have been reported missing after a massive flood swept through Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district near the border with China, authorities said on Wednesday.
The Nepal Tourism Board said those reported missing include 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali citizens. Among the foreign travellers are Americans, Indians, an Australian, Malaysians and Britons, although authorities are still working to verify their whereabouts.
The disaster struck the Syabrubesi area, a major gateway to the Langtang trekking region and a route used by pilgrims travelling towards Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.
Nepal Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle confirmed that the death toll had risen to 95, while 28 police personnel were also reported missing.
A powerful torrent of water, mud and debris swept through mountain valleys, destroying buildings and damaging roads and other critical infrastructure.
Images released by Nepal Police showed floodwaters carrying large amounts of debris through affected areas, while photographs from the scene showed buildings partially buried under thick layers of mud.
“We do not exactly know the extent of damage, but the flood is big, and it could have damaged many settlements,” Kafle said.
Authorities had earlier warned residents living near rivers to move to safer locations and deployed available resources to the affected communities.
Power and Roads Hit by Flood
The Nepal Army has deployed helicopters and disaster-response personnel to assist with search and rescue operations.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah also convened an emergency meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority to assess the disaster and coordinate the response.
“Work has started to take necessary steps in coordination with the medical team, scouts, and Red Cross,” Shah said in a social media post.
The flooding has also severely affected Nepal’s electricity infrastructure.
The Nepal Electricity Authority said approximately 430 megawatts of generation capacity, including hydropower and solar facilities, had been affected.
The authority said the disaster damaged electricity production, transmission and distribution facilities, resulting in disruptions to power supplies.
Several major highways were also closed because of the flooding, creating additional challenges for rescue and relief teams attempting to reach affected communities.
China Border Areas Also Affected
The disaster has extended to areas close to Nepal’s border with China, where Chinese state media reported casualties following a mudslide at Gyirong Port on the Tibetan side.
Footage broadcast by Chinese state television showed rushing water carrying branches and debris across roads.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an “all-out” rescue operation, directing authorities to search for missing people, treat the injured and take measures to minimise casualties.
Traffic authorities in Tibet’s Shigatse also warned travellers about the risk of mudslides and unsafe roads.
Nepali remote-sensing analyst Sarthak Shrestha said an initial assessment suggested that a rock-and-ice avalanche may have blocked the Lhende River in Nepal, potentially triggering the devastating flooding.
Authorities have also raised concerns about the possibility of another flood caused by an upstream blockage along the river near the Nepal-China border.
Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, urged authorities to remain alert to the possibility of further flooding.
Climate Risks Add to Concerns
Nepal and other parts of South Asia regularly experience floods and landslides during the June-to-September monsoon season. Scientists have increasingly warned that climate change is contributing to more frequent and intense extreme weather events.
The European Union has activated its Copernicus satellite surveillance system to help map the affected areas and support emergency response and recovery efforts.
“Copernicus has been activated to help map the affected areas in Nepal and support the response on the ground,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
She added that the EU was prepared to provide further assistance.
Search and rescue operations were continuing as emergency teams worked to locate missing people and assess the full extent of the destruction across the affected mountain communities.