At least 98 dead in Nepal-China flash floods
Massive flash floods on the Nepal-China border on Wednesday killed 98 people and left 403 missing, including 341 foreigners, halting travel and damaging infrastructure.
At least 98 people were killed in massive flash floods that struck the border area of Nepal and China on Wednesday. The floods left 403 people missing, including 341 foreign nationals, and halted travel in affected regions.
The prime minister's office in Nepal reported 95 deaths, while China’s state broadcaster CCTV said a mudslide in Gyirong County killed at least three and left 265 missing. Drone footage showed roads destroyed and buildings buried. Xinhua reported significant casualties.
The floods swept through steep valleys that serve as economic lifelines and travel corridors. Images showed second floors of buildings in Nuwakot district covered in mud, debris hanging from trees and wires, vehicles buried, and survivors caked in mud.
Missing pilgrims and tourists
Officials said 403 people were missing, 341 of them foreign nationals. Sunil Sharma, tourism board spokesperson, said 133 were from India on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus. Also missing were 47 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 24 from Canada. At least 62 Nepali citizens were among hundreds trekking in the Gosaikunda Lake area in Rasuwa during the Janai Purnima festival. Nepal police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said at least 28 police officials were missing.
| Country | Foreign Nationals Missing |
|---|---|
| India | 133 |
| United States | 47 |
| Australia | 34 |
| Britain | 33 |
| Canada | 24 |
| Other | 0 |
International response
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered aid, saying India was prepared to provide humanitarian assistance and that teams were coordinating rescue and relief. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 4.4 earthquake early Wednesday, about 100 km north of Kathmandu near the border with Tibet. South Korean officials said nine citizens working on a hydropower plant were missing. Malaysia’s foreign ministry reported 11 Malaysians lost contact in Rasuwa. Russia’s embassy said four citizens were missing. Australia, Britain, the EU, Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland expressed solidarity and urged people to follow local authorities.
| Country | Deaths | Missing |
|---|---|---|
| Nepal | 95 | 403 |
| China | 3 | 265 |
Causes and climate context
Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said an avalanche from a glacier likely caused the flash flood. They noted the flood wave’s speed and magnitude, with water levels on the Trishuli river rising as much as nine meters in half an hour. The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, had maximum flooding. Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist, said the Lhende Khola had flooded twice in 14 months, the latest triggered by an ice rock avalanche that blocked the river and released a surge downstream. He highlighted the importance of early warnings in a warming Himalaya.
The same region experienced flash floods last year when a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed due to high temperatures. Nine people were killed and a bridge connecting Nepal and China was damaged. Researchers in Kathmandu found that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya are melting at an accelerated rate, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000, primarily due to rising global temperatures and climate change.
The floods destroyed several villages, roads and hydropower projects along the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers, which officials warned residents to stay away from. The Bhotekoshi flooded around 9 a.m. Wednesday, causing widespread damage.
