At least 98 people were killed and more than 800 were missing after a flash flood and mudslide swept through villages and damaged roads and infrastructure along the Nepal-Tibet border today, Nepalese authorities said.
The disaster struck in Rasuwa district, north of Kathmandu, with preliminary information indicating that an earthquake triggered an avalanche, sending melted snow and debris into the Bhote Koshi river, Nepal’s foreign affairs minister Shishir Khanal told parliament.
Search and rescue operations were underway on both sides of the border. The Nepalese army said 88 people had been rescued.
Nepalese officials warned of extensive casualties and damage in several areas, including Timure, Syabrubesi and Betrawati. Flooding also damaged the Trishuli hydropower project, while roads, communications and electricity supplies were disrupted.
The main road connecting the affected area with Kathmandu was closed, authorities said.
Officials were working to establish the whereabouts of 579 tourists, including 466 foreigners from 28 countries, police said. The group included 54 U.S. nationals and 33 British nationals, while 113 were Nepalese.
Alpine Eco Trek, which operates guided tours and expeditions in Nepal, said 12 British nationals travelling on an excursion across the Nepal-Tibet border were missing.
Ram Kumar Adhikari, the company’s manager, said two Irish nationals and four South African nationals on the same excursion were also believed to be missing.
The ages of the missing British nationals ranged from 13 to 65, according to travel logs shared with the PA news agency.
Chinese state media reported three deaths and 265 people missing in Tibet, which is controlled by China.
The scale of destruction on the Tibetan side remained unclear, with road access cut off in some areas. Strong winds were also making it difficult for helicopters to reach affected locations.
In Nepal, videos showed floodwaters sweeping away a bridge and causing multi-storey buildings to collapse in the Trishuli Bazaar area of Nuwakot district, about 25 km (16 miles) northwest of Kathmandu.
The videos showed the Trishuli river rapidly swelling and carrying large amounts of sediment. In one clip, floodwaters tore a bridge from its supports before carrying it downstream, followed by the collapse of several buildings.
Another video filmed from inside a bus showed people fleeing on foot, mopeds and other vehicles as floodwaters surged through the valley.
Yee Liang, a Chinese businessman based in Kathmandu, said his logistics company had seven container trucks in the affected area, operated by Nepalese employees.
“We have lost contact with all of them. There is no signal, so we cannot reach anyone,” he said.
“As far as I know, there was no warning. There were occasional mudslides and landslides, especially in the rainy season, but this one seems much more serious.”
Nepal Army spokesman Rajarm Basnet said rescuers were trying to reach 115 people in the village of Mailung.
Prime Minister Belendra Shah held an emergency meeting to assess the disaster and said authorities had begun coordinating relief efforts.
“Work has started to take necessary steps in co-ordination with the medical team, scouts, and Red Cross,” Shah said in a social media post.
Nepal’s disaster management authority urged people living near riverbanks in vulnerable areas to remain alert and take precautions.
Khanal told parliament that 26 police officers, nine armed police personnel and 44 members of the military were among those missing.
He said an earthquake struck at 08:37 local time and triggered an avalanche, with preliminary information indicating that the avalanche caused the flash flood.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had spoken with Shah and expressed solidarity with Nepal.
“the people of India stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Nepal at this difficult time”, Modi said on X.
The affected region has experienced deadly flooding before. Rasuwa was hit by severe flooding last year after a glacier burst on the Chinese side of the border, killing 18 people.
The latest disaster comes during Nepal’s monsoon season, when heavy rainfall, landslides and flash floods regularly pose risks in mountainous areas. The suspected earthquake-triggered avalanche adds another hazard in a region where steep terrain and glacial melt can cause rivers to rise rapidly.
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